NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday assured the Supreme Court that deliberation on the issue related to the removal of around 48,000 slum dwellings along the railway tracks in Delhi were going on and no coercive action would be taken against them.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that no coercive action would be taken against these slum dwellers.
“The deliberations are going on. We are not taking any coercive steps,” Mehta told the Supreme Court bench. The bench, while taking note of Mehta’s submission, said it would hear the matter after four weeks.
The top court had on August 31 directed the removal of around 48,000 slum dwellings along the railway tracks in Delhi within three months and said there shall not be any kind of political interference in the execution of the plan.
On September 14, Mehta had told the top court that Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Delhi Government are going to decide on the issue and till then they will not take any coercive action against the slum dwellers residing along the around 140 km railway tracks in the national capital.
The Supreme Court is hearing the applications, including the one filed by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken who has sought for the rehabilitation of these slum dwellers before their removal.
The application filed by Maken has sought a direction to the Ministry of Railways, Delhi Government and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to rehabilitate the slum dwellers before eviction/ demolition of their dwellings.
It has also sought a direction to the Ministry of Railways, Delhi Government and DUSIB to follow the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015 and the Protocol (for removal of Jhuggis) in letter and spirit.
Referring to the Covid-19 situation in the country, it has said that in these circumstances, it would be highly risky to demolish the hutments/ jhuggis of more than 2,50,000 people without prior rehabilitation as they will be forced to move from place to place in search of shelter and livelihood
Talks on regarding exit strategy
On September 14, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the Supreme Court that the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the AAP-led Delhi Government are going to decide on the issue and that till then they collectively will not take any coercive action against the slum dwellers residing along the around 140 km railway tracks situated in the national capital.
SC currently hearing applications
The SC is hearing applications, including the one filed by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken who
has sought for the rehabilitation of these slum dwellers before their removal.
The application filed by Maken has sought a direction to the Ministry of Railways, Delhi Government and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board to rehabilitate the slum dwellers before eviction/demolition of their dwellings.