JAGATSINGHPUR: Evicted from the land which they once called their home under a court order, about 20 Dalit families of Alipingal village have been moved to a burial ground in the last one month.
These families had been residing on a piece of land near Alipingal high school since the last 50 years as it was initially classified as Gochar land. However, a local resident claimed ownership of the land and eventually filed a writ petition in the Orissa High Court seeking their eviction. Following the court’s order, a civil court ordered eviction and on January 8 these families were removed from the land.
Without any rehabilitation plan, they were relocated to a nearby burial ground by the local administration and left to fend for themselves.
Last Thursday, when they staged a protest in front of the collector’s office seeking rehabilitation under government schemes such as PM Awas Yojana and allocation of land with basic amenities, they were booked under section 163 of the BNSS for allegedly violating official orders by the executive magistrate of Jagatsinghpur.
The worst affected have been the school-going children of these displaced families who had to compromise with their education. Many of them lost their books and study materials when the houses were demolished. “We have not been provided with any study material or textbook and are education has gone for a toss,” said a student.
Alipingal sarpanch Rojalin Das said the eviction was carried out based on the high court’s order but the local administration could have acted in a more humane way. “The poor families were not even given five days for rehabilitation. They have been living at a burial ground since a month with no basic facilities. Except for a single tube well, no aid has been provided to them,” she said.
Meanwhile, terming the eviction process as violation of human rights, leader of Dalit Bikash Parishad Sankar Das said though he had sought the intervention of the collector and sub-collector in this connection, no action was taken. “I have now approached the State Human Rights Commission to seek justice and rehabilitation for these families,” he added.
Jagatsinghpur tehsildar, Tarini Ranjan Ray, however, said the district administration had no direct role in the eviction. “It was carried out on the civil court order in the presence of local tehsildar. We have, however, advised the affected families to apply for housing facilities. Necessary steps will be taken to provide them with the required benefits,” he assured.