The Supreme Court of India has allotted two months to the Uttarakhand government to formulate a comprehensive proposal for rehabilitating approximately 50,000 individuals currently residing on railway land in Haldwani. These residents are at risk of displacement due to ongoing efforts to clear what has been labeled as illegal encroachments.
During a session on Wednesday, a bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan addressed the Uttarakhand government’s progress in response to a prior court directive. This directive stemmed from a railway plea that sought to vacate a January 5, 2021, Supreme Court stay on a Uttarakhand High Court order. The High Court had ordered the removal of encroachments from around 30 acres of land claimed by the railways.
In court, the state government detailed its efforts, mentioning a joint meeting with the railways and other stakeholders aimed at identifying the land required for public sector transport projects and considering the rehabilitation of the affected families. Senior Advocate Balbir Singh, representing Uttarakhand, requested two months to finalize these plans, highlighting ongoing financial negotiations with the railways for the residents’ relocation.
Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the families living on the disputed land, argued against the necessity of relocating the residents, citing the recent completion of a retaining wall that had previously collapsed during floods. Gonsalves stated that with the wall restored, the risk of flooding railway tracks has been mitigated, challenging the need for immediate displacement.
However, the railways expressed a continued interest in relocating the families to make way for further infrastructure developments. In light of these discussions, the Supreme Court decided to maintain its interim order, which stays the execution of the High Court’s directive for eviction.
This judicial intervention underscores the complexity of balancing infrastructure development with the humanitarian concerns of displacing large communities.
