New Delhi: In a major relief to slum
dwellers here, the Delhi High Court has directed the
government to relocate them with basic amenities within four
months.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice
S Muralidhar said "the relocation policy will be granted an
alternative site as per the Master Plan Delhi 2021...”
"The state agencies will ensure that basic amenities,
consistent with the rights to life and dignity of each of the
citizens in the jhuggies are available at the site of
relocation," said the Bench.
Meanwhile, the court also directed the Member Secrtaey
Delhi Legal Services Authority(DLSA) to hold regular camps in
slum clusters and in relocated sites to make aware of their
rights.
The Bench`s order came on a petition filed by the slum
dwellers from Sanjay Camp and Nehru Camp Slum Clusters
challenging MCD`s drive to demolish the slums last year
without providing the alternate site for them.
According to the petitioner, they have been residing for
the past several years and demolition of slums without
relocation with proper amenities was against human rights.
In February last year, Sanjay camp slums were removed in
the name of construction of an underpass in Okhla phase-I and
Nehru camp was demolished for widening National Highway-24 in
2007.
PTI
