Eviction of "Bangladeshi" migrant workers: Karnataka HC pulls up State for poor rehabilitation scheme, failure to conduct inquiry

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday pulled up the state government for the poorly drafted rehabilitation scheme that it had come up for illegally evicted migrants in Bangalore.

. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi asked the state government to come up with a better scheme.

. "We hope and trust that State Government comes out with a better scheme", the Bench noted in its order.

. The Court further said,

. "On the face of it, the rehabilitation scheme has been poorly drafted, in as much as, Clause 1 thereof shows that the state government is not sure whether there are any reasons or any litigation, which will make the said land unavailable. Moreover, the scheme says that the rehabilitation will only be for one year." Karnataka High Court .COVID-19 not an excuse for failure to frame rehabilitation scheme: Karnataka HC on eviction of "Bangladeshi" migrant workers. Clause 1 of the rehabilitation scheme reads as follows:

. "The land measuring Two Acres in Survey no 23, Guttahalli village, Jigani, Hubli, Aneckal taluk has been identified for the rehabilitation scheme. In case, the said Taluk is not available for any reason, litigation, alternate suitable land will be identified in the city."

.Responsibility of the State to rehabilitate the affected persons: Karnataka HC on eviction of "Bangladeshi" migrant workers. Hearing this, the Court asked,

. "Why is the scheme for rehabilitation scheme only for one year?...You are not sure whether the land on which the rehabilitation scheme is implemented, is free of litigation or not?"

. "This approach has to be deprecated" , said Advocate Clifton D'Rozario , appearing for the evicted migrants.

. The Court further observed,

. "Large number of people are residing in shelters and shelters were demolished. State is not able to tell us who has demolished it. This is failure of the State machinery. On top of that, you come out with a scheme for regularizing illegal constructions for one year." Karnataka High Court . The Court further said that if this was the case, it would go on to appoint a valuator, who would assess the loss caused to the petitioners and compensation can be paid in monetary terms.

. As the hearing progressed, the Court also questioned the state government on who was responsible for the eviction drive.

. "Is this not a serious issue? Everybody says that they have not done it, then who has done it? Is it some invisible hand?

State doesn't make enquiry. Then inference will have to be drawn that State is also a party to all this. This (eviction) was started by the Police."

. The matter will be next heard on October 9

Eviction of "Bangladeshi" migrant workers: Karnataka HC pulls up State for poor rehabilitation scheme, failure to conduct inquiry

Rintu Mariam Biju

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