Gujarat HC seeks report from govt on displaced people

A division bench of the Gujarat HC has given the state government a week's time to verify the matter concerning the people who were displaced following the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project.

The bench, comprising acting chief justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice JB Pardiwala, later adjourned the matter for further hearing on February 16.

The government on Thursday in reply to a PIL about some of the displaced being left out of the rehabilitation process in Ganeshnagar, said in all 1,433 people were shifted to the area. "Of this, 695 were allotted homes while the 730 were found to be not eligible," said the government counsel.

The court had earlier, following a PIL by Congress leader Dipak Babariya through his counsel DP Joshi had asked the government to rehabilitate all those affected by the project.

The justice (retired) DP Buch committee was formed following the court's order to scrutinise the eligibility of those who claimed to be displaced by the project for alternate accommodation. Babariya said at least 100 people who have been termed as not eligible by government are eligible to get accommodation in Ganeshnagar.

"It so happened that some people applied to the AMC while others to the NGO and Buch Committee. Now, in some cases, the NGO failed to submit the list while in others the committee insisted on two proofs from a displaced person despite the court saying that only one proof like ration card or election card is enough," said Babariya