oint platform submits five-point memorandum seeking tenure security, rehabilitation near workplaces and public disclosure of the city’s complete slum-resident list
GTNS , SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 , A large group of slum residents in Cuttack took to the streets on Tuesday demanding land rights, an immediate halt to evictions without rehabilitation and stronger safeguards for the livelihood and living conditions of urban poor families.
The protest, organised by the Joint Forum of Slum Residents, culminated near the Cuttack District Collector’s Office, where the demonstrators raised a series of demands concerning land security, rehabilitation and basic civic rights.
The forum submitted a five-point memorandum through the District Collector to the Odisha Housing & Urban Development Minister, seeking government intervention on the issues confronting slum communities in Cuttack.
Five key demands
The protesters demanded land rights for eligible slum residents and called for an end to ongoing eviction drives where affected families, according to the forum, are not provided adequate rehabilitation.
They also sought rehabilitation close to existing workplaces, arguing that relocation far from employment opportunities can directly affect the income and day-to-day survival of families dependent on informal and local employment.
Another major demand was that slum settlements should receive living conditions consistent with constitutional and legal protections, including access to a humane and habitable environment.
The forum further demanded that the complete list of slums and slum residents in Cuttack Municipal Corporation limits be made public, saying transparency in identification and beneficiary records is important for determining eligibility for government housing and land-related schemes.
Leaders address gathering
The demonstration was conducted under the leadership of forum convener Khageswar Sethi.
Biswabasu Das, Rajkishore Mallik and Basanta Nayak, among others, addressed the gathering in support of the demands raised by the residents.
Several slum leaders and representatives participated in the demonstration, including Deepak Das, Swadhin Behera, Sipra Mohanty, Sukanta Nayak, Nayna Nayak, Gangadhar Dalai, Sujata Mohapatra, Bichitra Patra, Shiva Behera, Surendra Nath Murmu, Chandu Hembrom, Jitu Marandi, Bapi Murmu, Renubala Das, Gita Devi Saha, Saraswati Sutar, Jyotsna Pal, Shantilata Pradhan, Dharanidhar Maharana, Pradip Senapati, Mahendra Parida, Reena Mallik, Dhani Sahu, Rita Dalai, Kahnucharan Das, Sudarshan Barik, Dinabandhu Nayak and Sasmita Das.
Land-rights law provides important backdrop
The protest comes against the backdrop of Odisha’s Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2017 and the JAGA Mission.
According to the Odisha Housing & Urban Development Department, the legislation was enacted to provide eligible slum households with land rights and to move towards the transformation of slums into liveable habitats. The JAGA Mission also envisages land tenure security, improvement of civic infrastructure, better housing and participation of slum communities in local planning.
Government documents describe land rights as a key component of the mission, while also recognising that some settlements may require relocation where existing locations are hazardous or otherwise unsuitable for habitation.
Election promise becomes part of protest narrative
During Tuesday’s demonstration, protesters also questioned the implementation of promises made during the 2024 Odisha Assembly election campaign.
The BJP’s 2024 Odisha election manifesto included a promise to provide 600 sq ft of land/houses to the heads of slum-dwelling households and also promised a slum rehabilitation and management policy.
The protesters argued that the government has now been in office for more than two years and questioned the gap between the promise of housing/land security and the eviction-related problems they say slum residents are facing.
These are claims and political criticisms made by the protesting forum; the government’s position on the specific Cuttack eviction cases and the status of individual beneficiaries would need to be established from official records.
The larger Cuttack question
At the centre of the dispute is a broader urban-policy question: how should a growing city balance development and land management with the housing, livelihood and tenure security of people who have lived and worked in its urban settlements for years?
For the protesting residents, the immediate demand is clear — no eviction without a rehabilitation arrangement, secure land rights for eligible families and access to housing close enough to preserve livelihoods.
The memorandum submitted to the administration now puts the issue before the concerned authorities for consideration.
GTNS CITY DESK |