Demolition drive starts in Delhi's Shalimar Bagh to widen road

NEW DELHI: A demolition drive to remove unauthorised construction in the Haiderpur area of Shalimar Bagh, which is the constituency of chief minister Rekha Gupta, began on Sunday.

The drive began after the Supreme Court upheld earlier orders of Delhi high court, clearing the way for the administration to proceed with a road widening project, senior Delhi government officials said.

Central-North district magistrate SS Parihar said the action is being taken in compliance with court orders and will continue until all illegal structures in the area are removed.

The land in question is government land marked for a road in DDA’s master plan and forms part of the prescribed Right of Way of Road No 320, he said.

The road is a key corridor linking the Shalimar Bagh railway underbridge to Outer Ring Road and provides connectivity to Ring Road, Azadpur, Shalimar Bagh and its surrounding areas.

The administration said the encroachments had significantly reduced the width of the road. It hampered the movement of ambulances, fire brigade vehicles and other emergency services.

Parihar said the land acquisition process began through notifications in 1959 and 1961. The declaration of acquisition was issued in 1966. Possession of the land was taken in July 1980 and all the compensation amount was deposited by 1981, completing the acquisition process.

This year, a joint survey done on January 10 found 143 unauthorised permanent structures within the prescribed 30-metre right of way.

Officials said the road occupies 19.5 metres, and 10.5 metres are blocked because of the encroachments. The administration said that it had adopted the principle of minimum displacement and, despite the approved right of way being 30 metres, action was being confined to the necessary 10.5-metres.

The administration issued a notice in January inviting objections from affected persons. After considering the objections, the land acquisition collector passed an order on March 20. Some residents challenged the action in Delhi high court.

The high court dismissed the petition on April 6 and rejected a review petition on May 18. A special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court was dismissed on May 29, the CMO said.

Delhi government has announced an assistance package for eligible affected families, including a one-time ex-gratia payment of Rs 3 lakh per eligible family or unit. Families without alternative accommodation in Delhi will also be provided temporary licence-based housing for up to 11 months in residential units at Savda Ghevra.