New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued an interim stay on the Uttarakhand High Court order ordering the eviction of 4,000 families from Haldwani area, saying thousands of people cannot be evicted overnight.
Haldwani is the third most populous city in Uttarakhand. On the 20th of last month, the Uttarakhand High Court passed an order in a long-running case that the public has encroached on 29 acres of land belonging to the Railways. It ordered that all the people occupying the railway land should vacate and the land should be handed over to the railway. This order came as a great shock to the people living there.
There are 4000 houses, 4 government schools, 11 private schools, a bank, 10 mosques, 4 temples in the said occupied area. In this case, citing the High Court order, the district administration sent a notice to all the people to vacate the premises by the 9th of this month. The people of Haldwani took part in protests, processions and prayers in protest against this.
Meanwhile, they appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict. The Supreme Court heard the petition today and imposed an interim stay on the Uttarakhand High Court order.
“50,000 people cannot be evicted overnight. Although they have no right to the land, they should be classified. If that land is required for railways, alternative land should be given to the public. This issue should be approached with humanity. The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing to February 7.
