Khori Gaon Case: Those eligible likely to be rehabilitated, but not encroachers and land grabbers, says SC
Villagers in Khori Gaon located on the Delhi-Haryana border are being evicted by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad as per the Supreme Court of India’s order. The apex court has stated that those who are eligible are likely to get rehabilitated but not encroachers and land grabbers.
The residents of Khori village are concerned about their future. Photo: By arrangement
While hearing the case of Khori village demolition in Faridabad, Haryana, the Supreme Court of India today, August 3, indicated that encroachers or ‘land grabbers’ will not be rehabilitated by the state government.
Meanwhile, the apex court assured that those villagers who were eligible were likely to get rehabilitated.
As per the court’s directions, the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad is expected to complete removal of unauthorised structures on forest land before August 23. The matter will be notified on August 25 before which the municipal commissioner may submit the status report.
Khori, an ‘encroachment’ on forest land
Khori village, located in the Aravalli hills on the Delhi-Haryana border is home to more than 50,000 people (some reports claim 100,000 people). The Indian Forest Act, 1927, bars any construction within the forest zone and the Khori village lies in the forest zone of the Aravalli forests which are spread over 448 square kilometres in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat districts of Haryana.
On June 7, the Supreme Court had directed for the removal of all encroachments on forest land whether farm house or slums within six weeks and stated that there would be no compromise on the same.
Municipal Corporation of Faridabad had sought three more weeks to comply to remove encroachments in the area. The apex court had granted the corporation four weeks instead.
Today’s court hearing was in response to pleas seeking a stay on the demolition of 10,000 houses that had been planned by the municipal corporation. The residents of Khori village are concerned about their future as the Haryana government has stated that only citizens from Haryana would be provided housing after demolition.
Temporary shelter for evicted residents
During the hearing today, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh pointed out that almost 90 per cent of the settlement in Khori village has been demolished. “Where will this 1 lakh people go? … Now they have said radha soami satsang can accommodate but only fifty percent can be accommodated there. Another one is red cross. Radha soami is also in forest area,” he said.
Parikh also said that “there should be temporary shelter” for the evicted people. He pointed out that the municipal commissioner asked villagers to go to Radhaswamy or Red Cross for shelter. However, Parikh informed the bench that “the capacity there is not much. Their live and livelihood should be taken care of.”
The senior advocate alleged that the state was washing its hands off by telling evicted people to go to Radhaswamy.
Senior advocate Arun Bhardwaj representing Municipal Corporation of Faridabad dismissed the allegation of Parikh. He said: “This is not correct. There are sleeping beds and toilets. Fifty percent was on rent and they left and may (have) migrated to the home of their relatives.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered the municipal commissioner to set up an extended office in the Radha Soami Complex where the evicted persons have been provided temporary accommodation. This will help to assuage the grievance of the people, it noted.
The apex court also stressed on the immediate need of providing temporary arrangements to those who were getting evicted and protecting their rights.
Justice Khanwilkar announced that if Radha Soami area comes under forest area ‘then it has to go’. The bench ordered that if it’s not forest land, the corporation will not take any action till August 6.
The Khori eviction has been criticised by human rights experts at the United Nations who last month issued a statement urging India to halt the eviction of 100,000 people in Khori Gaon. They underlined how the residents had already been hit hard by the COVID19 pandemic, and that the eviction order puts them at a greater risk.
The supply of electricity and water in the area has been cut due to the Supreme Court’s order. On June 15, following the Supreme Court’s judgment, an elderly man named Ganeshilal of Khori village allegedly died of suicide. Three days later, on June 18, a woman troubled by the demolition of her home attempted suicide.