The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted six weeks to the residents of three slum clusters near the prime minister's residence in the Lok Kalyan Marg area to vacate their homes and shift to alternative accommodation in Savda Ghevra.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia constituted a monitoring committee under the chairmanship of a retired judicial officer to supervise rehabilitation of the dwellers of Bhai Ram Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Colony.
The panel will comprise high-ranking officials of Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, DUSIB, DDA, DJB, Directorate of Education and health department.
The bench asserted that the rehabilitation of residents of the three slums has to be "meaningful" and it must ensure their right to live with human dignity, which is one of the facets of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
"The appellants shall vacate their dwelling units in the three Jhuggi Jhopri bastis at B.R. Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Colony within six weeks from today and within this period they shall be settled in the accommodation allotted to them in DUSIB Colony at Savda Ghevra, Delhi, whereafter they shall be evicted to clear the land, if necessary, with the assistance of the police," the court ordered.
It asked the Land and Development Office (L&DO) to immediately issue a notification constituting the monitoring committee.
The court passed the order on appeals by the residents of the slums challenging a single-judge's May 11 judgement, which had refused to interfere with their eviction.
The Centre had sought their eviction on the grounds that the jhuggi-jhopdi clusters were in a protected zone, immediately next to an operational Air Force Station, and the decision to remove unauthorised construction in the area was taken to strengthen and secure defence infrastructure and for other important public and security purposes.
The division bench rejected the appellants' claim that the process of their eviction was in violation of Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015.
It nonetheless clarified that all the authorities would "strictly" honour their undertakings and the court's June 4 directions to ensure amenities, like schools, electricity, LPG connection, bus passes, dispensaries, etc., to them at Savda Ghevra.
"The undertakings given by the respondents and directions passed by this Court as noted in our Order dated 04.06.2026 are to be fully honoured and complied with to ensure that rehabilitation of dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri bastis takes place in a manner which will make them realise their fundamental right to live with dignity," the court said.
"The appellants residing in dwelling units in these three Jhuggi Jhopri bastis, on their eviction, need to be relocated and rehabilitated in terms of the decision taken by the respondents at the DUSIB Colony at Savda Ghevra, Delhi. The process of rehabilitation, to ensure that dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri bastis are able to lead a meaningful life after their relocation, needs to be consistently monitored and supervised," the court said.
The bench said the term of the monitoring committee shall be six months, which can be extended for a further period of two months if needed, and it would meet regularly to monitor and supervise rehabilitation of the dwellers.
Man Mohan Sharma, a retired officer of Delhi Higher Judicial Services, will act as the chairperson of the committee, the court said.
It also directed that the DUSIB shall facilitate transportation of household articles/belongings of appellants to the place of their accommodation.
On May 11, the single judge had given 15 days to the residents of three jhuggi clusters to vacate their houses, observing that they were first served eviction notices by L&DO in October 2025, and sufficient time has elapsed since then.
The Centre had then stated that in-situ rehabilitation was not possible in the present case owing to lack of any alternative accommodation in the vicinity and the decision was taken to shift 717 dwellers in the three slums to Savda Ghevra instead.
(With inputs from PTI)
