HC seeks Centre, Delhi govt's reply on plea by displaced

The Delhi High Court has sought response from the Centre and Delhi government on a plea for rehabilitation by some slum dwellers, who were displaced for widening of the National Highway 24.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued the notice to the Centre, Delhi government, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Delhi Police and DDA, asking for their reply by November 21, the next date of hearing.
Construction work is going on the NH-24 from Sarai Kale Khan up to UP Gate for expansion of an arterial road and for building of the Meerut Expressway.
The plea was filed by two families, who were residing at Nehru camp slum of East Vinod Nagar in Patparganj, seeking direction to DUSIB to allot an alternative accommodation unit under Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015.

The petition, filed through advocates Anupradha Singh and Choudhary Ali Zia Kabir, said while one family was denied rehabilitation for not having ration card, the other was given the reason that his name was not on voter list.
Alleging that the actions of DUSIB in declaring them ineligible were unlawful, the plea said while members of one family have given their Aadhaar cards as proof of residence, the other one has given his driving licence.

The plea stated that initially, DUSIB had issued a letter of eligibility for relocation to petitioner Hardiya Devi and directed her to deposit Rs 31,000 towards allotment of alternative flat, which was paid by her.

Later, the department cancelled the allotment of a flat in Dwarka here on the ground that she did not have a ration card, it claimed.
The plea also sought initiation of contempt proceedings against DUSIB for allegedly disobeying the court's earlier order by which it was directed not to take any coercive action to evict Devi for one week after disposing of her appeal by its appellate authority.