Saturday, 11 June 2022 | PNS | NAINITAL
Hearing on a public interest litigation filed by social activist and Haldwani resident Ravishankar Joshi against encroachment on 29 acre land of the railways in Haldwani, the Uttarakhand high court has taken on record the documents submitted by those occupying the land. The court has said that they will also be heard before disposal of the petition. While hearing on the petition in the past, the court had directed that those people who were being affected in the matter should submit their side along with all relevant documents in the court within two weeks.
According to the case details, while hearing on the petition filed by Ravishankar Joshi, the high court had on November 9, 2016 ordered the removal of encroachments from the railway land in Haldwani within 10 weeks. The court had directed that those who were encroaching on the said land should be issued notices under the Railway Property Act and that a public hearing should be held. On Friday, the counsel representing the railway informed the court that about 4,365 people are encroaching upon 29 acre land of the railways in Haldwani. These people were issued notices under the Act as directed by the court and they were given a full hearing by the railways. None of the occupants have any valid documents to support their continued encroachment on the land. The railways had written twice to the Nainital district magistrate to provide security for removal of the encroachers but no response has been received so far. In December 2021, the Supreme Court had directed all States that if railway land has been encroached upon, those encroaching on the land should be served notices within two weeks in case of those encroaching on land near the tracks and six weeks for those encroaching further away from the tracks and evicted. The district administration and State government will be responsible for resettling such persons elsewhere.
