LI Network
Published on: 23 May 2023 at 12:36 IST
Supreme Court issued a directive to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to temporarily halt its ongoing demolition drive of illegal constructions in the Vishwas Nagar region of East Delhi. The court’s decision aims to provide residents with a week’s time to relocate.
While the vacation bench, consisting of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol, declined to intervene with the Delhi High Court’s orders permitting the DDA to proceed with the removal of encroachments, it did instruct a temporary pause in the demolition process.
The High Court had previously granted permission for the demolition of more than 800 alleged illegal dwellings that had been constructed on DDA land in the Vishwas Nagar area.
In a recent development, the Supreme Court has instructed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to temporarily suspend its demolition drive for a period of one week on humanitarian grounds. This decision is intended to provide residents, many of whom are slum dwellers, with the opportunity to vacate their premises voluntarily.
The court emphasized that if residents fail to evacuate by May 29, the DDA will be allowed to resume its demolition activities. The bench directed the DDA’s counsel to immediately inform the authorities to halt the demolition drive for the time being.
Additionally, the Supreme Court has requested a response from the DDA regarding the rehabilitation of individuals whose properties have been demolished. The court expects the DDA to provide a response by the second week of July. The issue at hand is whether the residents, who are seeking to be relocated from their dwelling units, are entitled to rehabilitation under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Act or any other relevant law.
The Supreme Court’s order was issued in response to a petition filed by some residents of the Kasturba Nagar area within the Vishwas Nagar locality. These residents challenged the demolition notices issued by the DDA on May 18.
Previously, on March 14, the High Court declined to halt the DDA’s demolition efforts and agreed with the agency’s argument that the residents were encroachers. The Supreme Court will further deliberate on the matter in July.