No coercive action will be taken against slum dwellers in Delhi: Centre to SC

The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that no coercive action would be taken in the matter for removal of around 48,000 slum dwellings, along the railway tracks in Delhi, as deliberations were still on to find out some solutions.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before a bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde that he had made a statement before the apex court on September 14 that authorities are going to take a decision on the issue and till then no coercive action would be taken against these slum dwellers.

“The deliberations are going on. We are not taking any coercive steps,” Mehta said.

The bench, while taking note of Mehta's submission, said it would hear the matter after four weeks.

The court on August 31 had directed the removal of around 48,000 slum dwellings along the railway tracks in Delhi within three months and said there shall not be any kind of political interference in execution of the plan.

On September 14, Mehta had told the top court that Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Delhi Government are going to take a decision on the issue and till then they will not take any coercive action against the slum dwellers residing along the around 140 km railway tracks in the national capital.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken approached the court seeking rehabilitation of these slum dwellers prior to their removal.