‘Safeguard rights and dignity of evictees’: Delhi HC on relocation of slum clusters near PM residence

The Delhi High Court has mandated a 'dignified rehabilitation' for residents of three slum clusters near the Prime Minister's residence, including free Delhi Metro travel for a year and guaranteed school admissions for children. This directive, issued in a June 4 order and released this week, significantly strengthens the rights of evictees against purely security-driven displacement, pushing back against a prior single-judge order that allowed their swift removal to a distant, underdeveloped site. This ruling comes amid a persistent conflict between urban development, national security imperatives, and the fundamental rights of informal settlements in Delhi. Authorities, citing 'contemporary geopolitical events' and proximity to military installations, had sought to relocate over 350 families from Bhai Ram Camp, DID Camp, and Masjid Camp to Savda Ghevra, nearly 45 kilometers away. Residents had appealed, highlighting dire lack of basic amenities and disruption to livelihoods at the proposed site, forcing the High Court to intervene and demand concrete safeguards beyond mere alternative housing. The onus is now on agencies like the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to swiftly implement these comprehensive rehabilitation measures. The court's insistence on a 24/7 camp office at the relocation site, staffed by senior officials, signals ongoing judicial oversight, setting a critical precedent for future eviction drives across India's rapidly urbanizing landscape. This decision underscores the judiciary's role in balancing state security with the social justice obligations outlined in existing rehabilitation policies.