New Delhi, April 10 The Delhi High Court has allowed authorities to proceed with a demolition drive in the Shalimar Bagh area of the city for the expansion of a public road and has granted occupants time until May 30 to vacate the premises.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain was hearing a petition filed by Saroj, a resident of Shalimar Bagh, who had approached the court on behalf of around 98 occupants residing on land that has been acquired by the government in the Haiderpur village.
The Delhi government was represented in the court by Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, Legal Aid Counsel Dheeraj Kumar Singh, and Standing Counsel Sanjay Kumar Pathak.
In an order dated April 6, the court said, "The expansion of infrastructure projects, especially those concerning access to essential services, such as medical care, education, and fire safety, should not be further delayed, as such delays would be detrimental to the larger interests of the residents of Shalimar Bagh."
It stated that the interests of private occupants encroaching upon public land must yield to the broader public interest, including the needs of the residents and a smooth flow of vehicular traffic in the area.
"This court is of the view that the widening of the road cannot be further delayed. The residents must ensure that it is also not hampered or obstructed in any way," the bench said.
The petitioners had sought protection from demolition and dispossession, claiming that several families have been residing on the land for decades and would be rendered homeless if evicted.
The bench was informed that the land in question had already been acquired by authorities, and that earlier challenges to the acquisition had been dismissed by the high court, with the Supreme Court also declining to intervene in the matter.
However, considering the long-standing occupation of the residents, the court granted them time until May 30 to vacate the premises.
It directed that until that date, the occupants would not be dispossessed, and authorities would not carry out demolition of the structures under their occupation.
The court further asked the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) to consider the occupants' request for ex-gratia compensation in a sympathetic manner and to take an appropriate decision in accordance with the law.
"Upon the expiry of the aforesaid period, that is, May 30, 2026, the respondents are at liberty to proceed with the expansion of Road No. 320 and to remove all encroachments and unauthorized constructions," the court said.
"Until the reasonable time to vacate expires, the petitioners shall not be displaced, subject to their cooperation with the authorities in accordance with the present directions," it added.
The Delhi government is conducting a demolition drive to widen the road in Shalimar Bagh by removing unauthorized encroachments on land acquired decades ago.
Authorities say the road widening is necessary to improve traffic flow and ensure that emergency vehicles like ambulances have vital access to nearby hospitals and schools.