Uttarakhand: Over 500 illegal constructions removed from railway land in Lalkuan

More than two hectares of railway land has been made encroachment free and no accommodation has been made by the administration for the encroachers

Updated on: May 19, 2023, 20:16:46 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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The drive to remove encroachments from railway land in the Lalkuan area of Nainital district continued on Friday, with a joint team of railways, district administration and police razing over 500 illegal constructions, said officials.

The drive to remove encroachments from railway land in the Lalkuan area of Nainital district continued on Friday (HT photo)

After the high court on Wednesday dismissed a petition of residents from the area seeking a stay on the demolition in Nagina Colony, SP Harbans Singh, the joint team of police, administration and railways started to remove the encroachments.

Also Read: ‘Illegal construction rampant in Delhi, seal of 66% shut areas tampered’

Manish Singh, sub-divisional magistrate of Haldwani said, “The campaign to remove encroachments is going. So far, more than 500 houses have been demolished. More than two hectares of railway land has been made encroachment free. No accommodation has been made by the administration for the encroachers.”

Residents expressed their disappointment at the action of the authorities.

Veerpal Kumar, whose house was razed said, “No arrangements have been made for us by the government for rehabilitation. In this situation, we have been forced to wander door to door with our family members and belongings. I have spent my whole life here, now I do not know where to go.”

“At present, we have no place left where we can take refuge. The administration and the government should have given us some more time. But unilateral action has taken away our house and our livelihood from us,” another person whose house was demolished, said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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