NEW DELHI: A nearly 30-year-old slum cluster in South Delhi’s Kalkaji is set for demolition after the Delhi High Court ruled that encroachers cannot indefinitely occupy public land while their rehabilitation claims are pending. The court observed that permitting such occupation would obstruct crucial public works and development projects.
The order, delivered on June 6 by Justice Dharmesh Sharma, came while hearing a batch of petitions filed by residents of Bhoomiheen Camp, an informal settlement largely inhabited by migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Around 1,200 people had approached the court seeking a stay on demolition, asking the DDA to maintain status quo and not evict them until they were surveyed and rehabilitated under the 2015 Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy. The court, however, dismissed their plea, noting that the petitions were flawed due to improper clubbing of multiple parties and causes of action. It further stated that the petitioners had failed to meet the eligibility conditions under the 2015 policy to qualify for rehabilitation.
“None of the petitioners have any legal right to continue occupying the JJ cluster incessantly, to the detriment of the public at large,” the court said, adding that the right to rehabilitation arises only from policy, not from the Constitution. It also clarified that removal of encroachments and eligibility for rehabilitation are separate processes and pending claims cannot justify delaying demolition. The court allowed the DDA to proceed with demolition as per law and directed that eligible residents be allotted flats under EWS category.