08 June, 2021

Bulldozer will run on 10 thousand houses in Faridabad, Supreme Court directions to vacate the forest area

The Supreme Court has ordered the Faridabad Corporation to demolish 10,000 houses built in the forest area of Lakkarpur-Khori village. The court said that these houses should be vacated within six weeks.

The Supreme Court ordered the Faridabad Corporation to demolish all the houses located in the forest area of Lakkarpur-Khori village within six weeks. The Supreme Court made it clear that in any case the forest area should be vacant and no compromise can be made in this. About 10 thousand houses are built in the forest area.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari ordered the Faridabad Corporation to demolish the houses built in the forest area under any circumstances within six weeks. The bench asked the Haryana government to make adequate arrangements for the security of the corporation employees.

The court has said that the compliance report should be submitted within six months, after which we will verify the veracity of the compliance report. The bench clearly said that if this order is not followed, the concerned officers will be directly responsible. The Supreme Court has given the responsibility of ensuring adequate security to the corporation personnel to the Superintendent of Police, Faridabad. The court has said that the SP will be responsible if there is any lapse in providing security.

The bench took strong objection to the fact that in the year 2016, the High Court had ordered the removal of the constructions built in this forest area, but even after a lapse of five years, it has not been implemented so far. Not only this, the bench also said that in February 2020, the Supreme Court had also asked the corporation to demolish these illegal houses.

After this, in September 2020 also, the Supreme Court reiterated this. The bench said that despite so many orders, the forest area could not be cleared. The bench said that somewhere in this the apathy of the corporation is visible. The lawyer appearing for the Faridabad Corporation said that the demolition has taken place but there people are pelting stones on the team of the corporation.

Therefore, they should be directed to provide adequate police protection so that the demolition can be carried out without any hindrance. Following which the bench asked the Haryana government to provide adequate security to the corporation team. At the same time, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the people living in the forest area, said that the proceedings should be stopped for the time being and the matter of rehabilitation of the people living there should be settled.

Taking strong objection to Gonsalves’ contention, the Supreme Court said that you have not complied with the order for six years and you are saying that first the rehabilitation case should be settled and then the demolition action should be taken, it is not proper. The bench clearly said that first the place should be vacant, after that this petition will be heard. The bench said that the issue of rehabilitation is policy. The court has asked the people living in illegally building houses in the forest area that it would be better to vacate the houses themselves.

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Dr. Deepak Miglani, Email id.:- legalbuddy@gmail.com

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