The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday ordered demolition of constructions over encroached railway land at Banbhoolpura in Haldwani. A division bench of justices Sharad Sharma and RC Khulbe directed that a week’s notice be given to the encroachers after which the encroachments should be demolished.
There are religious places, schools, business establishments and residences on an area spread over 29 acres of encroached railway land in Banbhoolpura.
On November 9, 2016, the high court had ordered the removal of encroachments from the railway land within 10 weeks, while hearing a PIL filed by Ravi Shankar Joshi.
The court had said that all encroachers should be brought under the Railway Public Premises (eviction of unauthorised occupants) Act 1971.
According to railways, there are 4,365 encroachers on the land.