HC allows shifting of slum dwellers

THE MP High Court, Jabalpur, on Friday permitted the State government and the Bhopal Development Authority (BDA) to shift the slum dwellers affected by the floods caused by heavy rains to some alternative site.

THE MP High Court, Jabalpur, on Friday permitted the State government and the Bhopal Development Authority (BDA) to shift the slum dwellers affected by the floods caused by heavy rains to some alternative site.

HT Image

A division bench comprising Chief Justice A K Patnaik and Justice S C Sinho allowed the State government application seeking modification in the court order of March 2006.

The court order of March 2006, directed the government to take prior permission from the court before demolishing the houses of slum dwellers while hearing a PIL of MP Jhuggi Jhopdi Avashin Mazdoor Mahasangh.

Deputy Advocate General Sanjay K Agrawal, appearing for the State government, submitted most of the dwellings in slums of Bhopal City had been affected due to floods. Therefore the slum dwellers had to be shifted to some alternative site. He stated the concerned authorities were taking steps to shift the slum dwellers and the court permission was needed to accomplish the job.

The Mahasangh had filed the PIL in year 2005 seeking direction to the government to give benefits of Ambedkar Valmiki Yojana before the slum dwellers were shifted to other sites.