Razed sheds: Karnataka HC seeks plan to rehabilitate labourers

The high court directed the government to submit a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme to help labourers, who became homeless after their sheds in Marathahalli Police Station limits were demolished last month.

Chief Justice Abhay S Oka-led division bench issued the direction on Monday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties.

The petition has questioned the demolition of hundreds of huts at Marathhalli subdivision in Bellandur after the residents were branded ‘Bangladeshis’.

During the hearing, an advocate representing the government submitted that “the Marathahalli station police inspector B P Girish has been suspended for providing false information that led to the incident (demolition). The residents of the sheds have been identified as migrants from Assam and Telangana.”

The bench said the government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike were responsible for rendering the migrants homeless.

“Their (labourers’) fundamental rights have been violated. Therefore, find out ways to rehabilitate them, and identify all those who were affected by the demolition drive,” the bench said.

“Along with the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner, find out what arrangements can be made to rehabilitate them. Submit a detailed project report within a month,” it said, adjourning the case for further hearing on February 26.