HC seeks report from Rlys on removal of slums

NEW DELHI, MARCH 31: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Railways to place on record a report regarding implementation of its order for r...

NEW DELHI, MARCH 31: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Railways to place on record a report regarding implementation of its order for removal of slum clusters on railway land here which Prime Minister V P Singh had resisted saying demolition will not be allowed until alternative site was allocated to the dwellers.

A division bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar and Justice D K Jain asked a Railway official, present in the court, to place the action taken report by April 19, the next date of hearing.

The official replied in the negative as the court asked if the competent authority in Railway had issued direction in writing about the implementation of the court’s earlier order on a public interest litigation (PIL), seeking removal of slum clusters along the railway lines in the Capital.

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He, however, said Union Urban Affairs Minister Jagmohan will be visiting the site following which appropriate steps would be taken. The Railways on March 2 had informed the court that action for removal of the slum cluster was proposed to be taken by it on March 15.

Railway authorities had issued warning to the slum-dwellers by distributing pamphlets about ten days back asking them to vacate the place by March 25.

However, the authorities withheld their action plan on March 25 after the intervention of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Railway Minister’s intervention came apparently after V P Singh’s visiting the site and resisting the Government move for forcible eviction of the slum-dwellers.

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Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had also requested Banerjee to postpone the forcible eviction of the people living in the area saying they should be given more time.

Singh had visited the place on March 24 to lend support to the slum-dwellers after authorities had made arrangements for removal of the cluster.

Meanwhile, the Welfare Association of Slum Dwellers on Friday filed an intervention petition in the High Court pleading that the dwellers views also be heard.

The association also said an alternative site be provided to them as about 20,000 people would be affected with the court’s order for removal of about 3,400 dwellings.

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"The Government policy for dealing with slum clusters includes a provision for their relocation on alternative site provided by the administration," the petition said.

Their petition will also be taken up for hearing on the next date of hearing.