Delhi HC seeks details of amenities provided to slum dwellers evicted near PM’s house

Senior advocate N Hariharan, representing the residents in the court, also said that several school and college-going children of the slum dwellers are appearing for their exams in May and June, and the relocation would disrupt their academics.

The Centre, through Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and Central government standing counsel Ashish Dixit, however, told the division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia that “there are 13 schools in the vicinity” and emphasised that “strategically, we (government) need this land (on which the slums exist).”

Complex of Savda Ghevra Apartments, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Following an informal proposal from the court at the last hearing, the Centre also told the court that the Delhi Transport Corporation has acceded to give free bus passes to the rehabilitated dwellers for a period of one year, which can be extended beyond the period too.

The High court, at the last hearing, had inquired if the relocated residents could be provided with free bus and Metro passes for a period of three years.

ASG Sharma further submitted that while the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) “has no such scheme” for providing free metro passes, the court can direct for the same, or the Centre too can undertake “that whatever the charges are there for three years, we (L&DO) will reimburse…we will underwrite this.”

The High Court has now directed the Centre to respond to the lacking facilities flagged in the dwellers’ affidavit, on an affidavit, especially with respect to schooling, stating the number of schools in the area, and also on the general conditions of the schools.

The bench also directed Centre to “clearly indicate in the said affidavit the arrangement which is sought to be made with DTC for arranging buses for three years, as also the arrangement which has been proposed with DMRC for arranging free travel for a period of 3 years.”

The court will hear the matter next on June 4.

The slum dwellers, comprising over 700-odd families, in an appeal against a single judge’s order of May 11, have pointed out that they are being rehabilitated around 45 km away, at Savda Ghevra, which will deprive them of their livelihoods, with most of them currently engaged in blue collar jobs in the vicinity of the camps near the PM’s residence.

The slum dwellers have complained of basic amenities being unavailable, including lack of schools, as well as the impact the rehabilitation will have on their livelihoods.