HC anguished over encroachment of complex for leprosy patients

Reflecting a sad state of affairs, a housing complex meant purely for leprosy patients in East Delhi has been encroached upon, forcing the inmates to live and beg on pavements outside.
"Another welfare scheme stands on its head today", a deeply anguished Delhi High Court bench said today as it dismissed pleas filed by those who had encroached in the area and were living there against their eviction.
Justice Manmohan lamented that despite the government setting aside valuable land and money for maintenance of the complex at Tahirpur area here, the leprosy affected patients have been forced to squat and beg outside in public places due to the encroachment and illegal construction there.

"Another welfare scheme stands on its head today. In fact, due to rampant encroachment and illegal construction within the Tahirpur leprosy complex, there is no further accommodation available to rehabilitate the leprosy affected patients.
"This court is of the opinion that despite the State setting apart valuable land and monetary resources for maintenance of the said complex, the leprosy affected patients, thanks to the encroachment and illegal construction carried out by the petitioners, have been forced to squat and beg on pavements outside in public places and places of worship," the court said.
The verdict came as the court dismissed the pleas by residents of the unauthorised colonies, which have come up on the land meant for the leprosy patients, against the eviction and demolition notices issued to them by civic agencies.

The court also vacated its January 4 order putting on hold demolition of unauthorised structures in the complex.

The 12-page judgement, while dismissing the pleas of the residents of the unauthorised colonies there, said it cannot direct the government to regularise these colonies "as the same would not only be unethical, illegal, contrary to public purpose, but would also amount to placing premium on fraud".
"After all, there is no question of regularising illegal and unauthorised colonies in Tahirpur leprosy complex for 'able-bodied and healthy outsiders' as the said complex is dedicated to the welfare and rehabilitation of leprosy affected patients," it said.

The court also noted a 2009 report of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Seemapuri who had said that out of the 1810 tenements, the occupancy which could be termed as legal was of only 194 households. Besides, there were 79 houses which were held by way of succession or inheritance.