Visually-impaired hostel inmates asked to relocate immediately

Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed visually-impaired inmates of a hostel, which was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), to shift to an alternate accommodation. The court had earlier directed them to relocate to another location provided by the DDA. 

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar came down heavily on the students after they failed to comply with previous orders to relocate as land belongs to DDA.   

The court expressed its displeasure over the fact that the students were still staying there and said that“its orders cannot be frustrated like this”.   “This is not expected when we were giving them facilities. Our orders will not be frustrated like this. We do not approve of this. Please shift to the community centre. If they do not move, we will ensure physical removal,” the court said.  

“Please don’t abuse the sympathy we have for poor and marginalised. In the previous order we had ensured that blind people should not be left in open space,” the bench added. 

The court’s direction came while hearing a PIL in connection to the demolition of the hostel for the visually-impaired. The court had taken up the issue on its own after it came across a news report that 20 students were sleeping in the open after their hostel, Louis Welfare Progressive Association of the Blind in Janakpuri, was demolished on December 15 last year.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, the DDA submitted a status report in the court describing the steps taken by it. It also asserted that the students are not moving from the site despite being told repeatedly. 

The bench questioned the education being imparted to the students and said that by not complying with the orders, they are“encouraging encroachment on public land” as it fixed the next date of hearing to January 24.