Delhi High Court orders slum dwellers near PM house to vacate in 6 weeks

The Delhi High Court has given residents of three slum clusters near the Prime Minister's official residence in the Lok Kalyan Marg area six weeks to vacate. The bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed the families at Bhai Ram Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Colony to move to accommodation at a Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board colony in Savda Ghevra, outer Delhi.

The court said the government can evict residents after the six-week period with police assistance if needed. It constituted a monitoring committee under retired judge Man Mohan Sharma to supervise the rehabilitation and ensure amenities such as schools, electricity and healthcare are provided. The Centre had sought eviction citing the location next to an operational Air Force station.

The order came on appeals against a single judge's May 11 ruling that gave residents 15 days to vacate and upheld the eviction. The division bench said the rehabilitation policy had not been violated. Around 717 families are affected, according to one source, though another put the figure at more than 350 people.