DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday directed the state govt to submit a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme within a week after slum settlements were demolished for a road expansion project between Haldwani and Kathgodam. A bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Ashish Naithani was hearing a public interest petition challenging the “unannounced demolition” of the settlements.
According to the litigation, Haldwani resident Aftab Alam filed the petition. Alam said the state’s road widening and beautification initiative was commendable but added that certain slum settlements were dismantled without prior notice, violating Supreme Court directives.
“The inhabitants should have been granted an opportunity for representation before displacement. No formal notice was issued, and their long-established dwellings were demolished citing road expansion requirements,” he said. The petition seeks judicial intervention to relocate the displaced residents to an alternative site.
The petitioner’s counsel claimed that occupants of the settlement were evicted using excavators without prior notice or the opportunity to remove their belongings. The counsel further said the demolition was carried out despite the Supreme Court’s guidelines issued in Nov last year, which mandate a 15-day notice period before eviction.
After hearing arguments, the HC directed the govt to consider the hostile weather conditions and take immediate remedial steps, including identifying an alternative site, constructing temporary structures, and accommodating the displaced residents. The court scheduled the next hearing for March 4.
