Cuttack, April 18: A PIL has been filed in Orissa High Court, demanding transit homes for hundreds of slum dwellers, who were evicted over three months ago from Tanla Sahi.

The Basti Unnayan Manch's joint convenors Khageswar Sethi, 54, and Sk Abdulla, 63, stated in the petition that the Tanla Sahi slum dwellers were rendered homeless by the eviction on December 29 last year and have since been living along Ring Road by the bank of the Mahanadi "under the open sky in a dangerous condition".

"Besides, they are unable to get drinking water and food and their children are deprived of education. Neither the district administration, nor any other government agency has come forward to provide food and drinking water to the poor and the homeless," the petition said.

On September 15, 2010, the high court had ordered construction of residential apartments for resettlement and rehabilitation of slum dwellers before their eviction at Jay Maa Mangala Basti near SCB Medical College and Hospital.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation had announced that 264 families at the Tanla Sahi slum had been identified for rehabilitation under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Project. The Odisha Police Housing Corporation was to construct the multi-storey building for the purpose. But, no such building plan has apparently been approved so far.

"As it is not possible on part of the government to rehabilitate the evictees in the multi-storied building in the near future, the court should direct the authorities to build transit homes for the Tanla Sahi slum evictees forthwith," the PIL said.

Alleging violation of the court order, the PIL expected a direction to the authorities to provide the slum dwellers shelter at a safe place till construction of the transit homes and provide them with food.