55 households face eviction due to Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is set to remove the settlement of 55 households near Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram.

The team of officials had reached the settlement for evacuation but following the protest, one more week's time was granted to the residents for vacating the land.

City-based trade union Majoor Adhikar Manch protested the civic body's move and said it would move the high court if the authority doesn't rehabilitate the poor families who belong to denotified tribes. Executive committee member of trade union Ramesh Srivastava told DH that evacuation is being done to free the land for Sabarmati Ashram Redevelopment Project but the government is not following any guidelines.

He said the guidelines "prescribe that all residents who have proof of residence from before 1.12.2010 are eligible for rehabilitation before being evicted. Any eviction has to be undertaken under due process which involves giving notice for a response within a reasonable time frame. In this case, the government is not following any of the processes," Srivastava said.

When contacted, Ahmedabad collector Sandip Sagale, who is part of the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project, said, "The locality is not part of the redevelopment."

He refused to divulge further information on the evacuation plan. Locals said on November 20 they were given oral orders to vacate in three days. Sources in civic bodies said, "the slum area is falling within the Sabarmati Ashram project and the government wants to vacate the residents."

Meanwhile, the city mamlatdar Sabarmati and executive magistrate office have issued notices to residents of Sabarmati Ashram premises, asking them to vacate their properties. These residents have opted for compensation of Rs 60 lakh for vacating the land they were occupying as tenants and have already taken the first instalment of payment.

The notice has asked the residents to hand over the properties to the office of the circle officer at Vadaj.

Questions are being raised on the "rehabilitation policy" of the government as many of the beneficiaries don't have any legal right over the property they are occupying.

"Many of the claimants have no right and have been living illegally due to negligence of the trusts, which are the custodian of these properties. We are going to take this up soon," said one of the residents.

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