The BMC had commissioned the survey in the city under
Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY). The survey has been completed in 267 out of
total 300 slums in the city. The survey was started in February last
year. At a review meeting held some time back, it was found that
information from around 27 slums was not available.

According to
the report submitted at the meeting by the NGO, which has been roped in
by the BMC to conduct the survey, many slum dwellers refused to
participate in the survey.

“Many slum dwellers have their own
houses on the land provided to them in these slums. They are
apprehensive that they may be vacated if they participate in the
survey,” said BMC RAY officer Srimanta Mishra.

Out of 27 slums,
the survey work on seven was started recently after the slum dwellers
agreed to participate. But, the people of 20 slums are still unwilling
to provide details.  Ranjan Jena, Corporator of Ward-9 where six slums
are located, said problem was with the officials conducting the survey.
“They have not carried out any awareness programme about the survey in
the ward till date. Hence, the slum dwellers are apprehensive of the
consequences of the survey,” said Jena.

The delay in completion of
the survey is in turn delaying the completion of geographic information
system (GIS) that the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD)
Department is trying to implement in the city.

The socio-economic
data will provide the residence details and the name of beneficiaries of
the slum dwellers which is required for mapping them in the GIS.

BMC
Mayor AN Jena said they are trying to devise ways to conduct the survey
in the slums where it has not been done yet. The deadline for all the
survey work and GIS mapping for the city ends this month.