'Can't uproot 50,000 people overnight': SC stays eviction of families from railway land in Uttarakhand's Haldwani

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Uttarakhand High Court order directing officials to remove encroachments from 29 acres of railway land in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani. The top court said that 50,000 people can’t be uprooted overnight. It also issued notices to the Railways and the state government seeking their responses on a batch of pleas challenging the high court order for the removal of encroachments. According to the railways, there are 4,365 encroachments on the land, ANI reported. A bench of justices SK Kaul and AS Oka observed that it is a “human issue” and some workable solution needs to be found. The top court has posted the matter for further hearing on 7 February. What the Uttarakhand HC order said The high court on 20 December last year had ordered the demolition of constructions on encroached railway land in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura. It had directed that a week’s notice be given to the encroachers after which the encroachments should be demolished. The residents have submitted in their plea that the high court has gravely erred in passing the impugned order despite being aware of the fact that proceedings with regard to the title of the residents, including the petitioners, are pending before the district magistrate. There are religious places, schools, business establishments and residences on an area spread over 29 acres of alleged encroached railway land in Banbhoolpura. Will proceed as per the SC order: Uttarakhand CM “We have said earlier also it is a railway land. We will proceed as per the court’s order,” Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said. The Opposition Congress said the SC judgment will protect human rights. “We all were worried about demolition rendering 52,000 people homeless. SC stayed the demolition. In 2016, we took steps regarding the rehabilitation of the people,” former Uttarakhand CM and INC leader Harish Rawat said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.