The appellants, three of whom are minors, said about 200 families have been residing in the area since the 1980s and have the necessary documents to establish their residence. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna/Representational) The Supreme Court Friday agreed to take up for hearing on April 25 a petition against the proposed removal of shanties in Sarojini Nagar.
Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, before whom the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing, said it will be listed before an appropriate bench on that day.
The special leave petition challenges the Delhi High Court order declining to interfere with an order refusing to direct rehabilitation of the slum dwellers.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who mentioned the plea, told the court that the slum cluster was protected from demolition only till April 25 and urged it to order status quo. However, the court did not grant the request.
The appellants, three of whom are minors, said about 200 families have been residing in the area since the 1980s and have the necessary documents to establish their residence.
It also said that a majority of the residents belong to the below poverty line category and “removal of the slums will render” them “homeless, thereby violating their human rights as well as the fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Constitution of India”.
The appeal also said that slums that have come into existence before January 1, 2006, are eligible for rehabilitation under the Delhi Slum Rehabilitation Policy, 2015.
Stating that they did not intend to obstruct any development activity, they added that they were only seeking rehabilitation as per state policy.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
