The government has decided to provide an interim relief to Delhiites from the ongoing demolitions and sealing of units.
NEW DELHI: Under pressure from its own ministers and Members of Parliament, the government has decided to provide an interim relief to Delhiites from the ongoing demolitions and sealing of units.
The union Urban Development (UD) ministry has come to Delhi's rescue and decided to bring a Bill in the Parliament session that would halt the sealings and demolitions in Delhi while providing a temporary relief for one year. The government has bought time to bring in a comprehensive policy in this regard.
According to UD minister Jaipal Reddy, the Cabinet had cleared the Bill on Tuesday night. It will be introduced and, hopefully, passed in this session itself.
"The Bill will provide relief to people in four categories ----- shopkeepers and their employees, those who have violated building plans and made unauthorised constructions, slum dwellers, and hawkers and vendors," said Reddy.
The minister, however, made it clear that relief will be interim and would not mean having a comprehensive solution. "This Bill would give people some more time and ensure that there is no forcible action for a year," Reddy said, adding that all those on the wrong side of the law will face action after a year.
While making it clear that the slum dwellers will not be evicted unless the public land is required for any purpose. "Within one year we bring in a proper resettlement and rehabilitation package for the slum dwellers," Reddy said.
This is yet another occasion when the government has confronted the courts with a Bill even though Reddy said this should not be viewed as any form of confrontation.
Meanwhile, traders in the Capital have called for a Delhi bandh to protest against the sealings and demolitions. The Bhartiya Janata Party has also threatened to force an adjournment in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday.
“Both the Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister are making statements even as dozens of bulldozers are running amock demolishing encroachments and jhuggi-jhopris and sealing shops. Any Bill seeking to stay such actions for a year or so would be illegal and would be struck down by the courts”, BJP Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha V K Malhotra said.
He demanded that all extensions made by citizens on their own property should be regularised under an amnesty scheme.
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