Uttarakhand: 4,300 houses built on railway land in Haldwani will not be saved, High Court orders to demolish them
A hearing was held in the Nainital High Court on the matter of encroachment on railway land in Vanbhulpura of Haldwani. In the case, the High Court has given a week’s notice to the encroachers and ordered to demolish the encroachment. This order was given by a division bench of Justice Sharad Sharma and Justice RC Khulbe on Tuesday. Earlier, in the hearing held on November 1, the bench had reserved the decision. On which the verdict has been given today. Let us inform that during the earlier hearing, it was said on behalf of the encroachers that their side was not heard by the Railways. That’s why they should also be given a chance to be heard. On which it was said on behalf of the Railways that the Railways has heard all the encroachers by issuing notices under the PP Act. At the same time, it was said on behalf of the state government that this is not the land of the state government, it is the land of the railways.
It was said on behalf of the petitioner that the encroachment was not removed even after repeated orders of the court. Earlier, the court had asked all the encroachers to present their objections. After hearing all the objections and the parties, the court has given its verdict in the case today. The case was heard in the division bench of Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma and Justice RC Khulbe.
It may be noted that on November 9, 2016, the Nainital High Court heard the public interest litigation filed by Ravi Shankar Joshi. During that time the court had ordered removal of encroachment from railway land (railway land in Haldwani) within 10 weeks. The court had said that all the encroachers should be given notice under the Railway PP Act and a public hearing should be held.
At the same time, it was said from the side of the railway that encroachment has been done on 29 acres of railway land in Haldwani (Haldwani Railway Land Encroachment). In which about 4,365 encroachers are present. On the orders of the High Court, notices were given to these people under the PP Act. Whose railway has completed the hearing. No person was found to have valid land papers.
What is this matter of encroachment
Actually, this matter is going on in the High Court since 2016. The court has been told by the Railways that the Railways has more than 29 acres of land in Haldwani. More than 4300 encroachers have occupied it. Then orders were given by the High Court to remove the encroachment. However, after that the matter went ahead after applications were made in the court on behalf of various parties. Now all the parties have presented their side in the court. After that this decision has been given by the court. In the decision, the Railways has been ordered to demolish all the encroachments by giving 1 week’s notice.
