Slum-dwellers agitate against rehabilitation

Nashik, Sep 11 (UNI) A huge morcha of around 5,000 slum dwellers was today taken out to the District Collectrate here, to protest their rehabilitation by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) under the JNURM scheme.

The slum-dwellers of Mahatma Phule Nagar, Datt nagar, Vadarwadi, Amrutnagar participated in the morcha.

According to sources, the morcha started from Phule nagar slum area. Around 5,000 slum dwellers from various slums in the same area took part in the morcha. The morcha reached the district collectorate via Panchvati, Ravivar Karanja and M G Road areas of the city.

The participants of the morcha submitted a memorandum to district collector S Chokkalingam. Police had maintained a strict vigil. The participants threatened to intensify their agitation if their demands were not fulfilled.

The NMC wants to build new houses for these slum dwellers under the JNURM, but they are opposing the move.

According to the agitators, the present houses are good and if the government wants to build the houses and rehabilitate them, it should be at the present place, not at any other place.

As most of the people living here work as labourers in the Nashik Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) here, their present dwellings are more convenient for them. The present land of these slums belongs to the Mahrashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) and the Institute wants the land back for its development. It had given the land to the NMC for rehabilitation of 1969 flood victims. Now, the NMC wants to rehabilitate these people elsewhere.

Slum dwellers from Amrut Nagar Audhoot wadi, Rahul wadi, Bharadwadi, Vaishalinagar, samartnagar, Kalikanagar, Rajdoot nagar also took part in the morcha.

The morcha was led by Pethroad-Dindori road Zopadpatti Sangarsha Samiti presient Babasaheb Waghmare, Vice-president Parshuram Dalvi, General secretary Arun Donde, secretary Bhoye and Laxman Dhotre.

UNI