CM says govt can't disobey courts on demolition drive orders

Time of India

4 days ago

New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said authorities cannot go against demolition orders issued by courts and stressed that displaced residents have been provided accommodation.
Her words came in the wake of the recent Madrasi Camp demolition for which the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised her. AAP has targeted Gupta, and alleged that the displaced Madrasi Camp residents were provided homes in faraway Narela, and those lack basic amenities.
Attending an event to mark the construction of a Jan Sewa camp at a slum cluster in the Haiderpur area, Gupta told reporters: "In the last few days, whatever demolition action was taken by the authorities, like at Madrasi Camp, the court had given directions to remove the encroachment over the Barapullah drain almost four times."
The encroachment over the drain had reduced its width, causing waterlogging in nearby areas, she said.
She added that the action was necessary for desilting to proceed.
"Neither govt nor the administration can do anything if the court orders something for the slums. The Madrasi Camp was set up on the banks of the Barapullah drain. The court ordered the removal of this slum, so that machines could be deployed to clean the drain.
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No one can defy court orders. Houses were allotted to the residents of that camp," she said.
Reacting to the chief minister's comments, her predecessor and AAP legislator Atishi said that BJP's key poll promise of "Jaha Jhuggi, Wahin Makaan (houses where the slum was)" now rings hollow.
In a post on X, Atishi said, "Rekha ji, did the court also say that BJP should not fulfil its promise of "Jaha Jhuggi, Wahin Makaan"? If the slums had to be demolished, then why weren't people given houses in nearby areas? Most people from Madrasi Camp didn't get any housing.
Those who did were given dilapidated houses 40 km away in Narela with no jobs, roads, schools or hospitals," she wrote.
The chief minister on Sunday inaugurated and inspected various development projects in Nehru Camp in Haiderpur, Ekta Camp in Pitampura, and the area near U and V blocks of a JJ cluster in the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency. Gupta also reviewed the laying of pipelines and construction of new roads in these areas.
She said that no slum would be demolished without first providing permanent housing to its residents. FIRs will be filed and strict action will be taken against those spreading false information about demolitions, she added.
She clarified that most anti-encroachment action is being carried out in compliance with court orders and target illegal occupations that are obstructing traffic or hindering public movement.