By Express News Service
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday ordered demolition of constructions over encroached railway land at Banbhoolpura in Haldwani. A division bench of justices Sharad Sharma and RC Khulbe directed that a week’s notice be given to the encroachers after which the encroachments should be demolished.
There are religious places, schools, business establishments and residences on an area spread over 29 acres of encroached railway land in Banbhoolpura. This order of the High Court will affect 4,300 families falling under the ambit of encroachment along with railway land. On November 9, 2016, the high court had ordered the removal of encroachments from the railway land within 10 weeks, while hearing a PIL filed by Ravi Shankar Joshi.
The court had said that all encroachers should be brought under the Railway Public Premises (eviction of unauthorised occupants) Act 1971. The court had said that notice should be given to all encroachers under railway PPACT and public hearing should be held. The Railways told the High Court that 29 acres of railway land in Haldwani has been encroached upon, in which about 4,365 encroachers are present. No person was found to have valid land papers.
During the hearing in this case, it was said on behalf of the encroachers that their side was not heard from the railways, so they should also be given a chance to be heard. While the railways argued that the railways has issued notices to all the encroachers under the PPACT. At the same time, the state government argued that this land does not belong to the state government, it is owned by the railways. The petitioner said that despite repeated orders of the court, the encroachment was not removed.
Therefore, the court had asked all the encroachers to submit their objections. After which the court reserved the decision after hearing all the objections and parties. After Tuesday’s decision of the court, the future of 4,300 families is now in jeopardy. Around 814.5 hectares of railway land, which is at least nine times the total area of the New Delhi railway station, is encroached upon across the country and almost one-fifth of this is only in the Northern Railway zone, according to the data submitted by the Railway Ministry in Parliament last year.
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday ordered demolition of constructions over encroached railway land at Banbhoolpura in Haldwani. A division bench of justices Sharad Sharma and RC Khulbe directed that a week’s notice be given to the encroachers after which the encroachments should be demolished.
There are religious places, schools, business establishments and residences on an area spread over 29 acres of encroached railway land in Banbhoolpura. This order of the High Court will affect 4,300 families falling under the ambit of encroachment along with railway land. On November 9, 2016, the high court had ordered the removal of encroachments from the railway land within 10 weeks, while hearing a PIL filed by Ravi Shankar Joshi.
The court had said that all encroachers should be brought under the Railway Public Premises (eviction of unauthorised occupants) Act 1971. The court had said that notice should be given to all encroachers under railway PPACT and public hearing should be held. The Railways told the High Court that 29 acres of railway land in Haldwani has been encroached upon, in which about 4,365 encroachers are present. No person was found to have valid land papers.
During the hearing in this case, it was said on behalf of the encroachers that their side was not heard from the railways, so they should also be given a chance to be heard. While the railways argued that the railways has issued notices to all the encroachers under the PPACT. At the same time, the state government argued that this land does not belong to the state government, it is owned by the railways. The petitioner said that despite repeated orders of the court, the encroachment was not removed.
Therefore, the court had asked all the encroachers to submit their objections. After which the court reserved the decision after hearing all the objections and parties. After Tuesday’s decision of the court, the future of 4,300 families is now in jeopardy. Around 814.5 hectares of railway land, which is at least nine times the total area of the New Delhi railway station, is encroached upon across the country and almost one-fifth of this is only in the Northern Railway zone, according to the data submitted by the Railway Ministry in Parliament last year.
