The Supreme Court will today hear a plea challenging the Uttarakhand High Court’s order directing the removal of encroachments from 29 acres of railway land in Haldwani.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan will represent the petitioners in the apex court. The court will decide the fate of around 50,000 people whose future remains uncertain after the Uttarakhand High Court ordered the removal of encroachments from 29 acres of railway land in the town’s Banbhoolpura area.
Protests by Residents
Thousands of residents of the Banbhoolpura area have been protesting against the removal of encroachments, saying it will render them homeless and jeopardise the future of their school-going children. There are a large number of women, children, and the elderly among those to be affected by the removal of encroachments, stated a PTI report.
Led by Congress MLA from Haldwani, Sumit Hridayesh, residents of the area approached the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s order, which will be represented by Congress senior leader Salman Khurshid.
The Congress also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take a humane view of the issue as the removal of encroachments from the land will render 4,500 people homeless.
“They have been living in the area for 70 years. There is a mosque, temple, overhead water tank, a PHC, a sewer line laid in 1970, two inter colleges, and a primary school,” Nizamuddin, a former MLA from Manglaur, said.
Preparations By Administration
Kumaon Range Inspector General Nilesh Anand Bharne told ABP News that 14 companies of PAC including 5 companies of RAF have been requested. A demand has been made for 1,000 female and male constables from the Garhwal range and a large number of home guards, police officers, and employees of the Kumaon range have also been called, he added.
Along with this, the administration has been asked to make available other important essential things including the goods of JCB Pokeland and barricading for the removal of encroachment.
An extra unit of the Local Intelligence Unit has been called. Along with this, any kind of provocative and violent posts are being monitored on social media. “At any cost, external elements will not be allowed to come here,” Bharne said. Apart from this, the verification campaign is also being run by the police, Bharne added.