Tag: banbhoolpura

Nainital

Shoot-At-Sight Order Issued In Nainital After Violence Over Anti-Encroachment Drive

By LokMarg

Communal tension gripped the Haldwani area of Nainital district on Thursday evening after violence broke out in Banbhoolpura following an anti-encroachment drive.

The district magistrate of the district has imposed a curfew in Banbhoolpura.

Also, a shoot-at-sight order has been issued against the rioters.

Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar told ANI that the state government has also demanded the Ministry of Home Affairs for additional police forces and has deployed four additional central forces.

“Around 4 pm today, a joint team of District Administration and Police was conducting an anti-encroachment drive in Banbhoolpura, Haldwani as per the Court’s order. Opposing that, a few anti-social elements pelted stones and caused arson. It is also being said that they fired at the police using illegal weapons. DIG Kumaon reached the spot immediately and additional police forces have also been called there. The State Government has also demanded that the MHA provide additional Police forces. MHA has made 4 companies of additional central forces available to us,” Kumar said.

He further said that the situation, however, is under control.

According to the Uttarakhand DGP, several police personnel and administration officials sustained injuries during the violence and are undergoing treatment at hospitals.

“CM called an emergency meeting at his residence sometime back…As of now, the situation is under control. As per the information available to me, several Police personnel and administration officials sustained injuries and have been admitted to hospitals. No casualties reported yet. The situation is tense but under control…” he added.

He also assured action against those who would be found guilty.

“In the days to come, the people behind the incident will be identified and action will be taken against them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appealed to people to maintain peace.

“In the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani, a team from the administration had gone for an anti-encroachment drive, following the Court’s order. Anti-social elements there entered into a brawl with the Police. A few Police personnel & administrative officials sustained injuries. Additional companies of Police and Central Forces are being sent there. We have appealed to everyone to maintain peace. Curfew is in place,” he said.

“Strict action will be taken against rioters and encroachers who committed arson,” Dhami added. (ANI)

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Thousands Can’t Be Uprooted Overnight: SC On Eviction In Haldwani

By LokMarg

Thousands can’t be uprooted overnight, the Supreme Court on Thursday said while putting a stay on the Uttarakhand High Court’s decision ordering the State authorities to remove encroachments from railway land in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka issued notices to the Indian Railways and Uttarakhand government on the pleas.
“There cannot be uprooting of 50,000 people overnight,” said the bench, adding that there has to be segregation of people who have no right on the land and the need for rehabilitation while recognizing the need for railways.

Noting that people are living there for decades, the bench said there should be measures for rehabilitation since the issue involves a human angle.

Posting the case for hearing on February 7, the bench said that it has put to the Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati that full rehabilitation of the persons in the area is needed.

“Issue notice. In the meantime, there shall be a stay of the directions passed in the impugned order. There should also restrain any more construction or development on the land,” said the bench in its order.

During the hearing, the apex court said, “What is troubling us is how do you deal with a situation where people bought the land in the auction and took possession after 1947 and acquired title. You (railways) may acquire the land but what to do now? People live for 60-70 years some rehabilitation has to be done. There must be a culmination to the issue and we do not encourage what is going on.”

ASG Bhati for Indian Railways said that this strip of land belongs to the railways. Their claim is that it is their land, they are not asking for rehabilitation.

The top court said that maybe all of them cannot be painted with the same brush, and there may be different categories. “But there are people for whom a human angle needs to be considered. Someone will have to examine their documents,” it added.

Bhati said that Kathgodam Railway station does not have any space for expansion and there are 4365 unauthorized occupants.

The Uttarakhand High Court had on December 20 ordered the removal of encroachments from railway land in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani after giving notice to the residents one week in advance.

Led by Congress MLA from Haldwani, Sumit Hridayesh, residents of the area approached the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the High Court’s order. Another petition was also filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan.

A total of 4,365 encroachments will be removed from the area. Those facing eviction have been living on the land for many decades.

Residents have been protesting against the removal of encroachments from railway land in compliance with a High Court order.

The petition highlighted that the petitioners are poor people who have been lawful residents of Mohalla Nai Basti, Haldwani district for more than 70 years.

The petition stated that the names of local residents are entered in the municipal records of the house tax register and that they have been paying house tax regularly for years.

There are five government schools, one hospital, and two overhead water tanks in the area. It is further stated that “the long settled physical possession of the petitioners and their ancestors, some even prior to the date of Indian independence, has been recognized by State and its agencies and they have been given gas and water connections and even Aadhaar card numbers accepting their residential addresses.” (ANI)

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