SAMBALPUR: Around 50 families of Ramji Mandir Bandhapada near the Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur are haunted by one question: “They say our houses will be demolished on October 5. But, where will we go?”
Panic has set in as the administration prepares to demolish their houses for land required for phase-II of the Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economic Initiative (SAMALEI) project.
More than 125 houses have been demolished after compensation disbursal, but many residents have refused to accept the amounts offered, claiming it is inadequate to rebuild homes or secure other accommodation.
Residents also allege that rental accommodation is difficult to get due to caste discrimination. Dhirendra Mahanand, a resident of the locality, claimed landlords refuse to rent houses after learning their caste, while many are reluctant to accommodate large families.
Many women in the locality work as domestic help, while others are daily-wage labourers. Residents fear moving away could also cost them their livelihoods.
The uncertainty has also begun taking a toll on residents. Neel Sahu (50), a daily-wage worker of the locality, was recently taken to the mental health department of VIMSAR after his family noticed a change in his behaviour. Doctors advised treatment, his family said. Sahu lives with his wife, two sons, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Residents say his case reflects the anxiety prevailing across the locality.
The locality initially had no electricity or water supply and roads were in poor condition. Electricity was provided in 2014, while water supply and some road work were taken up shortly before the 2024 elections.
Residents allege that the road remains in poor condition, and the locality is being treated as a non-slum area for rehabilitation despite poor infrastructure. They claim unlike other displaced settlements, they have not been offered land in lieu of land or adequate compensation. Residents said protests had prompted an assurance from the sub-collector that land would be provided, but claimed there was no progress on the matter.
For 75-year-old resident Ahilya Pradhan, the uncertainty is distressing. Her sons have accepted compensation and moved away, but she remains with her 80-year-old husband, who is paralysed. She does not know where to go with him after their house is demolished.
