Salia Sahi eviction drive in Bhubaneswar: Concerns over recovery of hundreds of Aadhaar cards from a house

A major surprise unfolded during the ongoing eviction drive in Salia Sahi, after hundreds of Aadhaar cards were recovered from a house on Tuesday. The incident has not only left authorities in shock, but it has also raised several questions about the origin and purpose of such crucial documents.

Officials are now trying to determine whether the Aadhaar cards are genuine or fake, and why such a massive collection was stored in one location. The discovery has sparked suspicion of possible misuse, prompting calls for an immediate and thorough investigation.

One of the residents claimed, “We had submitted our Aadhaar cards hoping to receive rehabilitation benefits after the demolition.”

Another local, however, offered a different explanation, saying, “This spot was being used as a collection centre for issued Aadhaar cards. People came here to pick up their IDs. These are original documents; the distributor left the Aadhaar cards here, and locals collected them from this place.”

In addition to Aadhaar cards, authorities also recovered bank passbooks and cheque books from the house. According to locals, the Aadhaar cards had been delivered to the address through postal services.

Also Read: Salia Sahi eviction in Bhubaneswar: 517 houses to be demolished, 5 platoons of police force deployed

The recovery has raised serious concerns about why such a large number of Aadhaar cards and financial documents were sent to a single location, especially in an area where residents have been protesting against the new ring road project.  Authorities are now investigating whether the documents were being misused by anyone.

Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority officials moved ahead with clearing encroachments for the proposed 13-kilometre left parallel road from Ekamra Kanana to Andharua. While around 900 metres of Salia Sahi fall under the planned road corridor, 200 metres were already cleared, and the remaining is being razed as part of the ongoing operation.