Haldwani Eviction: Supreme Court Stays HC Order, Says 50,000 People Can't Be Uprooted Overnight
Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the High Court order to remove encroachments from railway land in Haldwani¡¯¡¯s Banbhoolpura area. The Court also issues notices to the Uttarakhand government and India Railways on the pleas challenging Uttarakhand High Court¡¯s decision ordering the State authorities to remove encroachments from railway land in Haldwani¡¯s Banbhoolpura area.
The SC order came in an appeal filed by the residents against the HC order.?
The residents had contended that the "arbitrary and illegal" approach adopted by the railways and state authorities and that the high court's upholding of the same has resulted in a gross violation of their right to shelter.The petitioners claimed they have valid documents that clearly establish their title and valid occupation.
Uttarakhand High Court ordered the eviction? ?
The High Court had on December 20 ordered the removal of?encroachments?from railway land in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani after giving notice to the residents one week in advance.??
Over 4,000 families living on the 78-acre land owned by the Railways in Haldwani have been asked to vacate their residences.
But according to the residents there, including some who have been living there for generations, the eviction will render them homeless, with no place to go.
There are a large number of women, children and the elderly among those to be affected by the removal of encroachments.
People have been living here for 100 years
Congress MLA from Haldwani Sumit Hridayesh said the state government never tried to tell the Uttarakhand High Court about the people to be affected by the removal of encroachments.
"People are settled in the area (Banbhoolpura) for nearly 100 years. Seventy-year-old mosques and temples stand there. There is nazul land, freehold land, lease holders," he said.
Schools, banks and places of worship
The area has four government schools, 10 private ones, a bank, four temples, two mazaars, a graveyard and 10 mosques which came up over the last few decades. Banbhulpura also has a community health centre and a government primary school that are said to be over a hundred years old.
Administration?gears up for eviction?
On Wednesday,?Nainital District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbiyal said the preparations to carry out the anti-encroachment drive are in full swing.
"We have already made a demand for the required force. We have made the demand for magistrates and paramilitary forces as well. In the coming days, the occupants will be removed," he said
"The occupants are on the land of the Railways. On the approx 70 acres of land, there are about 4365 illegal residents," the DM added.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Nilesh Bharne said police are keeping surveillance so that no rumours were spread.
Bharne also said that the area has been divided into zones and families are being intimated about the High Court orders.
"Preventive actions are being taken. We are explaining the court orders to the families. We are also trying to convince the people since it is the order of the court, everybody has to follow that. Hopefully, there will not be any obstacles," he said.
The residents facing an uncertain future say they are being targeted for their religion. 90 per cent of the residents who are facing eviction are Muslims.?
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