NEW DELHI: Wakeel Hassan was a celebrated hero in November last year. He along with a few rat-hole miners rescued over 40 miners trapped for 17 days in the under-construction Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand. On Thursday Hassan found himself in a bureaucratic hell-hole: DDA first razed his house in Khajoori Khas northeast of Delhi as part of a demolition drive on Wednesday and then offered temporary accommodation. Hassan declined, expressing dissatisfaction with what he deemed a mere “verbal assurance.”
The events unfolded abruptly for Hassan and his family, who were left without shelter following the unexpected demolition of their home in Khajoori Khas. The lack of prior notice compounded their distress, forcing them to spend the night outdoors amidst the rubble of their former residence.
The DDA, in defence of its actions, cited the necessity of preventing encroachment and unauthorized construction on designated development lands. It also said that Hassan was aware of his house’s “status of encroachment” as it had been previously removed in 2016 and was encroached upon again in 2017. However, the DDA said that the exercise was a “routine encroachment removal drive” and that they did not “target any particular individual”. The authority also said that DDA officials were not aware of Hassan’s role in the tunnel rescue operations before or during the demolition drive.
Once Hassan’s role in the tunnel rescue operation came to light, the DDA extended support to his family. Despite efforts to provide an alternative, including offers of accommodation in Vasant Kunj and future housing in Govindpuri, Hassan remained steadfast in his refusal, citing the absence of a written assurance.
Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari assured the miner that he would be given a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana “very soon.”