Faridabad (Haryana): United Nations Human Rights experts on Friday have asked the Indian government to reconsider its decision to evict 1,00,000 people, including 20,000 kids from Faridabad's Khori village. The UN Special Procedures wing took to the microblogging site tweeting," UN experts call on India to halt evictions of some 100,000 people that began this week in midst of monsoon rains. India must urgently review its plans for razing Khori Gaon & consider regularizing the settlement so as not to leave anyone homeless."
The intergovernmental organization wrote that India should reconsider its plans of evicting people in order to remove encroachments in Khori village and rehabilitate those affected by the move. A complaint in this regard was made to the United Nations on June 30 through e-mail by the 'Mazdoor Awas Sangharsh Samiti' of Khori Gaon, and the International Alliance of Inhabitants. It may be noted that the Khori village is spread up to Prahladpur area in Delhi, beyond Surajkund area (Faridabad).
Read: SC refuses to stay order on demolition of illegally constructed houses in Aravali forest area
The demolition of houses in the village had begun on Wednesday, 14 July, after the Supreme Court on June 7 had ordered the clearance of the settlement by 19 July. On Friday, the third day of the demolition, over 700 houses were demolished using bulldozers. Following which the Faridabad Municipal Corporation registered more than 100 people by setting up camps for rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Government keeping in mind the rehabilitation of those displaced has already initiated the process of rehabilitation. According to Faridabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Garima Mittal the people of Khori village would be provided settlement in Dabua Colony and Bapu Nagar of Faridabad.
Read: SC reprimands Faridabad forest land encroachers
Recently on June 17, the Supreme Court on Thursday had refused to stay its earlier order directing the Haryana government and authorities to demolish around 10,000 residential houses constructed illegally at Khori village in Haryana's Faridabad, located in the Aravalli forest area. A Bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, and also comprising Justice Dinesh Maheshwari refused to stay the demolition of the 10,000 illegally constructed houses. However, the Apex Court said that those entitled to rehabilitation, as per the Haryana government's 2003 scheme, would get the benefit of the same. The Supreme Court bench, while refusing to stay the eviction of the illegal constructions, had earlier on June 7 observed, "Land grabbers can't take refuge of rule of law."
