During the FIH Pro League match against the USA on February 18, local sensation Jyoti Chhetri, a 20-year-old forward, captivated the home crowd. Her parents watched from the stadium, located less than 2 km away from their residence in Rourkela’s Panposh neighborhood.
For Jyoti, a rising star in the national women’s hockey team, last week seemed like a fairy tale, with one notable exception – the looming threat to her family’s home.
While Jyoti has been excelling on the field, she’s been grappling with the prospect of her house being demolished. The family has received a notice from local authorities to vacate the premises for road widening.
This poses a significant challenge as the Chhetri family has resided in the house for two decades, having built it on government land spanning an estimated 300 square feet, without any official documentation.
“I moved to Rourkela from Ranchi in 1988,” Bhim told Indian Express. (Who Is Anmol Kharb? From Haryana With Dreams Of Conquering The World, 17-Year-Old Leads India to First Asian Team Championships Title)
“When I first came here, I was a watchman at the hostel and stayed in quarters they provided. I joined their canteen as a helper cook. Then I got married, two kids were born and the place was too small to live with the family.”
He alleged that a hostel official recommended constructing a house on the small plot of land outside the main gate. The family of four relocated there shortly after Jyoti’s birth, and it served as their home until two years ago, when local authorities arrived unannounced at their doorstep.
“Some 8-10 government officials came to take measurements and informed us that they will demolish the house,” Bhim said. “They gave us time till 2025 or latest 2026 before the demolition job begins….We cannot afford to buy a new house or land. We have requested the government officials to rehabilitate us. They asked us for our Aadhar cards and other documents. But there is no response yet.”
After the house is demolished, the narrow one-lane road will be expanded to alleviate congestion on the bridge spanning the river, linking Kuarmunda to Panposh, which is 10 km away. This stretch forms part of a national highway, and the widening project to convert it into a four-lane road is overseen by the NHAI in Odisha.
A source within NHAI, preferring anonymity, expressed unawareness of this particular case. However, they emphasized that in instances of encroachment on government property, demolition notifications are typically issued either by the tehsildar or the competent authority overseeing land acquisition, often led by the Additional District Magistrate or NHAI.
District Collector of Sundargarh – in which the area falls — Gavali Parag Harshad said he will look into the case and assured all support to Indian Express.
“Though I am not fully aware of the issue, I will definitely look into it. Whatever help is required to her (Jyoti) family, we will extend on our behalf. Even if it’s not possible on our part, we will request the state government to extend help,” Harshad said.
Six months ago, Jyoti approached the Additional District Magistrate seeking relief. “He assured me they will do something but nothing has happened till now. I am doing whatever I can to seek some support.”
