AMC razes 55 dwellings opposite Sabarmati Ashram

On November 23, 2021 officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad district collectorate office had visited the dwelling to raze the hutments but had then granted a week’s time to the 55 hutment residents to make alternate arrangements.

Prior to the eviction drive, no formal written notices were served on the residents and were only orally intimated to vacate the land parcel.

The slum dwellers had then moved Gujarat HC seeking the court’s directives to the authorities — the state government, AMC and the deputy collector’s office — to consider the case of the petitioners for extending the benefits of the Regulations for the Rehabilitation & Redevelopment of the Slums, 2010.

The state authorities had, however, pointed out that the petitioners have “encroached upon a public road under the Town Planning Scheme” and that pursuant to a court order in 2005, AMC was directed to remove the same encroachments.

Member of trade union Mazoor Adhikar Sangh Mangal Gadhvi, who was at the site during the eviction drive, said, “The slum dwellers were first issued notice on March 18 for eviction by the AMC, giving them 10 days to reply and in seven days in case of any objections. The dwellers sent their representation that they should be provided with alternate accommodation. They did not respond to the slum dwellers’ representation but orally said that the slum dwellers are not eligible for rehabilitation under the existing policies. Then they sent the final notice on April 11 asking the dwellers to evict within three days. We moved Gujarat HC on April 13 and was posted for hearing on April 17, but the AMC went ahead with the demolition drive.”