Khori residents seek proof of rehabilitation registry, fearful of being duped again

According to MCF officials, over 440 families have registered for the rehabilitation scheme that was announced last week, after which registrations started at a camp set up at Radha Swami Satsang Beas, near Surajkund

Residents of Khori village in Faridabad who have registered for a rehabilitation scheme announced by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) said that they are not being given any proof of registration and raised concerns of being duped, in the absence of formal documentation.

Demolitions have been underway at Khori since July 14, after the Supreme Court in June directed the Haryana government and the MCF to remove encroachments from Aravalli forest land. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Shaheen Afroz (23), a resident of Islam Chowk in Khori village, whose house was demolished last week, said, “First, the authorities are not providing any documentation proof after the registration. Second, we also learnt that the registration form comes with a clause that we will have no right over our plot in Khori village. Those who have registered are clueless about the next course of action.”

According to MCF officials, over 440 families have registered for the rehabilitation scheme that was announced last week, after which registrations started at a camp set up at Radha Swami Satsang Beas, near Surajkund.

Residents said that registrations are being made on a basic form, which states that they will not have any further rights on land they had in Khori.

Demolitions have been underway at Khori since July 14, after the Supreme Court in June directed the Haryana government and the MCF to remove “all encroachments”, consisting of around 10,000 residential units, in the Aravalli forest area, saying “land grabbers cannot take refuge in the rule of law” and talk of “fairness”.

As per the rehabilitation policy, the slum dwellers will get flats for economically weaker sections (EWS) equipped with basic facilities such as electricity, water and toilets in Dabua Colony and Bapu Nagar area. The criteria for allotment is that the income of the families must not exceed ₹3 lakh annually, and the name of the head of the family should be registered in the voters’ list of the Badkhal assembly constituency of Haryana as of January 1, 2021.

A social activist, requesting anonymity, said, “First, the policy is just a draft, and it has not been notified by the state government. Further, residents who are even registering for the scheme are not being given any documents or registration slip; only their names are being noted down.”

Officials, however, said that due process will be followed before allotment of houses is done to those who have registered for the scheme.

Garima Mittal, the commissioner of MCF, said, “Around 445 people have already registered for the scheme, and we are checking all documents before taking the registrations. After a person fills the form, there will be multiple levels of checks, likely to be done by a neutral agency, before the allotment is done. All procedures are being followed and the next course of action will be shared soon.”

Jitendra Kumar, the nodal officer for the rehabilitation scheme, did not respond to requests seeking comment.