Formulate a policy for rehabilitation of evicted slum dwellers, suggests SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday expressed displeasure over the Railways land encroachment due to which public projects are getting held up and said the authorities may have political compulsions but it is the taxpayers' money which goes "down the drain. It asked the Centre to take a firm stand on the issue of encroachment in the railway property by the slum dwellers in Gujarat and Haryana and take a decision with respect to their rehabilitation. The Apex Court suggested the Centre to evolve a policy, with timelines, that can act as a future arrangement for all cases.

A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the municipal corporation, the states as well as the Railways are not seeing eye to eye in these cases and since these are matters of public interest, the project should go forward immediately.

How do you overcome this? We want you to tell us that. And without intending to make any political statement, the government at all three levels is triple engine and the Railways cannot have their engine functioning in this, said the bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar.

Mehta told the bench that he would discuss the issue at all levels and would speak to the Railways minister because a public project cannot be held up. This matter you need to resolve at the earliest and within 15 days, the project should start rolling out. Make sure. Whatever arrangements are necessary, do it at war footing level.

We don't want excuses either from the Centre, the state or the corporation, the bench said.

The top court also told Mehta about how the Railways had taken different stand on the issue before different courts, including the Delhi High Court, in separate matters on the issue of rehabilitation of those who are encroaching upon the Railways land.

The solicitor general, who said that encroachment on Railways land is a Pan-India issue, assured the bench that a joint stand would be taken by the authorities on the issue.

The Bench further encouraged the Centre to take a firm stand on rehabilitation. In case the Centre felt it was not feasible to rehabilitate then the Court would look into it. "If the Government is firm about its stand that those who are encroaching upon the Railways land cannot be given rehabilitation, then take that position. We will take a decision on that, no difficulty. But, different statements are made before different courts, it make problem for us."

The bench posted the matter for hearing on December 14.