‘Vacate in 6 weeks’: Delhi HC orders 350+ slum dwellers near PM House to relocate

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed more than 350 residents of three slum clusters near the Prime Minister’s residence in the Race Course area to vacate their homes within six weeks and relocate to alternative accommodation at Savda Ghevra.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia also constituted a seven-member committee to monitor the rehabilitation process for six months.

The court directed residents of B.R. Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Colony to shift to accommodation allotted to them in the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) colony at Savda Ghevra. It said authorities could seek police assistance if necessary to clear the land after the deadline.

DUSIB was also directed to facilitate transportation of residents’ household belongings to their new accommodation.

Right to life with dignity

In its 49-page judgment, the court said rehabilitation must be meaningful and effective and should protect the right to life with human dignity, an integral part of the Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The monitoring committee will be headed by retired Delhi Higher Judicial Service officer Manmohan Sharma and include senior officials from DUSIB, the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Jal Board, Union housing ministry, Delhi government’s education department and health department.

The court also directed the Centre to honour an earlier undertaking providing free Delhi Metro travel for one member of each rehabilitated family for an initial period of one year.

The ruling came on an appeal against a single-judge order of May 11 that had directed the residents to vacate within 15 days.

Residents oppose relocation

The residents had argued that the rehabilitation process violated applicable policies and that authorities had not explained why they were being moved to a distant location instead of being rehabilitated in situ.

They said their families had lived in the camps for generations and depended on nearby areas for domestic and other blue-collar work, while their children attended local schools.

The residents contended that relocation to Savda Ghevra would adversely affect their livelihoods, children’s education and their right to life under Article 21.