The Supreme Court on Thursday, 5 January, stayed the Uttarakhand High Court order which directed eviction of structures on railway land in Haldwani. The matter has been listed now on 7 February. 

The High Court order directing eviction was slated to affect nearly 20,000 people residing in more than 4000 houses in that area. The petitioner in the case had also said that the order had come while the proceedings regarding the title of the residents were still pending before the district magistrate.

A bench of Justices SK Kaul and AS Oka, on Thursday, reportedly said that a workable arrangement is required to segregate people who may have rights from people who may have no rights on he land. According to Livelaw, they also said that this move has to be coupled with rehabilitation schemes which already exist, while recognising the need of the railways.

They added:

“We have put to the ASG that full rehabilitation of the persons in the area is needed. Issue notice. In the meantime there shall be stay of the directions passed in the impugned order. There should also be restrain any more construction/development on the land.”

Source: The Quint