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The Centre on Friday told the Delhi high court that it will provide free transport support to residents of three slum clusters near the Prime Minister’s residence who are being relocated, with the Delhi Transport Corporation agreeing to issue free bus passes for at least a year.
The passes will facilitate commuting between the rehabilitation colony and the residents’ existing workplaces for one year, with the arrangement extendable as needed, the court was informed.
Additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Union government along with standing counsel Ashish Dixit, submitted before a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia that while no similar free-pass scheme exists for the Delhi Metro, the court could pass appropriate directions and the Centre would be willing to reimburse metro travel expenses for a period of three years.
“DTC gives passes and DTC has acceded to give passes for one year and can extend it beyond one year. Metro has no such scheme, but the court can pass orders… whatever the charges for three years are, we will give them… all females can have free bus rides,” the ASG submitted.
The submissions came during the hearing of an appeal filed by residents against a May 11 order of a single judge directing their relocation within 15 days.
A bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav had directed that more than 350 residents of three slum clusters — Bhai Ram Camp, DID Camp and Masjid Camp — near the Prime Minister’s residence in the Race Course area be shifted to alternative accommodation arranged by the authorities at Savda Ghera.
The order was challenged by the residents before the division bench. Appearing for them, senior advocate N Hariharan submitted that the schools in the area where they were to be relocated were not functional. “There is no sewerage, electricity connection, or school. Can they throw us to the wolves like this?” Hariharan submitted.
The residents contended that their families had lived in the camps for generations and depended on nearby areas for livelihoods as domestic workers and other blue-collar employees, while their children studied in local schools. They argued that relocation would adversely affect their livelihood, education and right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
On May 19, the court directed the Centre to take instructions on providing free bus and metro passes for commuting between the rehabilitation colony and the residents’ existing workplaces for three years.
During Friday’s hearing, the court also directed the Centre to file an affidavit detailing the number of schools in the area where the residents were proposed to be relocated, the availability of teachers and the overall condition of those schools.
The matter will next be heard on June 4.
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