Berhampur: More than 200 persons belonging to 60 families on Tuesday surrounded the residence of local MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik and the office of the municipal corporation commissioner Chakravarti Singh Rathore demanding allotment of houses under Rajiv Awas Yojana.

Around 450 families who stayed at a slum on the embankment of the Dhoba Bandha were displaced by the civic body in 2010 to build a vending zone. They slum-dwellers were promised rehabilitation.

"During the survey prior to the displacement, the names of all the 450 families were included in the list. But at the time of allotment of house under Rajiv Awas Yojana, the names of these 60 families were deleted from the official beneficiary list. Now, these 60 families are deprived of houses," said councillor of ward No. 3 Ashok Kumar Shukla.

The local MLA said the demand of these 60 families for allotment of house was justified. He said: "I assured them that we will find out how their names had been removed from the final list." The municipal commissioner said he would inquire into the matter and take action within 10 days.