Eviction from a slum during the lockdown piqued Dinesh Bansal more severely than it did on two previous occasions. Already battling hunger as scrap warehouses remained shut and savings had drained, the homelessness inflicted an agony he is still scrambling to overcome. <\/p>\n
At dawn on May 9, municipal officials accompanied by police razed down homes of 61 people, claiming they encroached upon the Rathara lake in Rewa, to begin a beautification project. These families of traditional bamboo artisans were resettled there five years ago by the Municipal Corporation after being displaced from another site. \u201cDuring the lockdown we had no work, and then came the earth movers that morning. We were not even given a notice in advance to move out belongings,\u201d alleged Mr. Dinesh, 42, who along with others now lives at the parking lot of a set of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) apartments.<\/p>\n
The families were even promised regular food and water supply. \u201cFor the past one week, we\u2019ve not received supplies. What was the urgency to beautify the lake at the cost of our houses during the lockdown,\u201d asked Umesh Bansal, 34.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are not going hungry… social workers have been providing food,\u201d said P.N. Shukla, Assistant Engineer at the corporation. \u201cAnd we are fulfilling their housing demand through the PMAY.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added it was a \u201cpolicy decision\u201d to resume work. In September last year, a meeting chaired by the Rewa Divisional Commissioner decided to free the land of \u201cencroachers\u201d so the project could be started. <\/p>\n
The families said as the lockdown claimed the wedding season from February to June, during which they made \u20b9 25,000-\u20b930,000 each year selling bamboo items and utensils, they were left with no money to deposit \u20b920,000 for a house under the scheme. \u201cThen we have to bear monthly instalments,\u201d said Mr. Dinesh, who feeds his family of five as well as his brother\u2019s five children. Before the lockdown, he worked as a ragpicker. These days he has found work at a construction site for \u20b9300-\u20b9350 a day. RTI activist Shivanand Dwivedi said, \u201cThe families were arbitrarily moved. And if they could pay for a house, why would they be staying in huts in the first place? \u201d The Corporation, however, claims it issued an eviction notice a day before the drive. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n