Delhi High Court Orders Status Quo On DDA’s Demolition Drive Against Slum Cluster In Mehrauli

The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered status quo on Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) action of demolishing a slum cluster in Mehrauli area.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Arora directed DDA to maintain status quo with respect to Ghosiya Slum Colony till February 14. The slum cluster houses 400 jhuggis.

“In light of the averment that Ghosiya Slum Colony is a Jhuggi cluster duly enlisted in the list published by DUSIB on its official website, which records 400 Jhuggis, as also the 2015 Policy and the fact that the Respondents do not have instructions in the matter, the Respondents are directed to maintain status quo with respect to the 400 Juggis verified by Respondent No. 2, until the next date of hearing.”

The court was hearing a plea moved by Gosiya Colony Sewa Samiti. Advocates Anupradha Singh, KR Shiyas and Fidel Sebastian appeared for the petitioner.

It was submitted by petitioner’s counsel that the slum colony duly appears in a list published by DUSIB in 2018, recording existence of 400 jhuggis in the cluster. It was contended that the slum cluster is a notified JJ cluster and thus the jhuggis cannot be demolished.

Reliance was placed on Delhi Urban Slum and Rehabilitation and Location Policy, 2015, to submit that since DDA is the land-owning agency, it is obliged to rehabilitate the residents of slum colony prior to their eviction.

The counsel further submitted that no eviction notice was served on the residents and therefore the entire demolition action of DDA was entirely illegal.

While listing the matter for hearing on February 14, the court directed the authorities to file their written submissions on or before February 13.

Title: Gosiya Colony Sewa Samiti v. DDA