News: Slum-dwellers are citizens too, have a right to life: Punjab & Haryana HC-26-05-2022
A bench of justice Amol Rattan Singh and justice Lalit Batra acted on the plea of Rajinder Kumar and others seeking quashing of the May 14 demolition notices put up by the UT administration.
CHANDIG ARH: Slum dwellers are also citizens of this country and have a right to life in terms of Article 21 of the Constitutio n, according to the Punjab and Haryana high court which has also sought the Centre’s reply on their rehabilitation while stating people out of necessity have to occupy jhuggis on land which obviously does not belong to them.
A bench of justice Amol Rattan Singh and justice Lalit Batra acted on the plea of Rajinder Kumar and others seeking quashing of the May 14 demolition notices put up by the UT administration.
The order reads, “The Union of India would file an affidavit through the competent officer, giving a via-media for rehabilitating such like people who out of necessity have to occupy jhuggis on land which obviously does not belong to them, but nevertheless are citizens of this country and have a right to life in terms of Article 21 of the Constitution of India”. The court adjourned the hearing till October 28.
While staying demolition of Shahpur colony, Sector 38, till next date of hearing, the court said, “In view of the fact that no proper notice under Section 12(2) of the aforesaid Act (Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952,) has been issued, no demolition shall be carried out till the next date of hearing. Liberty would obviously be available with the respondents to issue appropriate notices to all individuals concerned.”
On May 14, the administration had put up demolition notices in two colonies– Shahpur Colony 38 and Kabadi Colony in Maloya.
Residents/shopkeepers in the two illegal colonies has been asked to vacate the area within seven days. The number of exact number of affected families is being ascertained. But officials said these were much smaller colonies as compared to Colony Number 4, which was demolished on May 1 as part of UT efforts to make Chandigarh slum-free.
Around 65 acres of government land estimated to be worth Rs 2,000 crore were freed, officials had said.
