New Delhi,Jan05,2022:The Supreme Court has put on hold the demolition of more than 4,000 homes that were allegedly encroaching on land belonging to the railways in Haldwani town in Uttarakhand.
“There cannot be uprooting of 50,000 people overnight. There has to be segregation of people who have no right on the land and the need to rehabilitation while recognising the need of the railways,” the top court said in its order on Thursday.
On December 20, an order passed by the high court of the northern state declared 4,365 houses adjacent to the railway line in Haldwani’s Banbhulpura colony “illegal” and therefore to be demolished.
The Supreme Court has sought replies from the Indian Railways and the Uttarakhand government and will next hear the matter on February 7.
Braving the biting cold, hundreds of women had been holding a sit-in against the eviction drive for more than a week. They held candlelight vigils every evening, demanding a withdrawal of the lower court’s order.
The top court’s ruling comes as a relief to about 50,000 people in the Himalayan town, situated about 300km (186 miles) from New Delhi.
