High Court relief for Dhanas residents

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 30

In a major relief for about 1,000 residents of Dhanas Colony, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the colony, allegedly built on shamlat or government land, will not be demolished till further orders.

The directions by the Bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice Rekha Mittal came after a petition was filed by Eisha Arora and other residents against the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents. The Bench also fixed July 2 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

The petitioners had earlier challenged the decision of the Chandigarh Administration to demolish the colony, allegedly built in violation of the New Capital Periphery Act, 1952. The petitioners had claimed the existence of more than 1,000 houses in the colony. The petitioners had also submitted that the UT had taken the decision to carry out the demolition without issuing notices to them or giving them an opportunity of hearing.

The petitioners prayed that their side of the story should also be heard by the Administration before initiating action of removing the constructions. Counsel for the petitioners added that the Administration should not go ahead with the demolition drive as a number of Muslims in the colony were on fast due to the holy month of Ramzan.

Going into the background of the matter, the counsel said the Administration, on June 27, announced that the colony would be removed since it had come up on shamlat land. However, the petitioners were under the impression that the colony had come up on private land and not shamlat land.

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