The court, in its order, said that the migrants, who had come to the country on long-term visas, were poor people who had no permanent place of shelter and who had Aadhaar cards.
The court, in its order, said that the migrants, who had come to the country on long-term visas, were poor people who had no permanent place of shelter and who had Aadhaar cards.
The Delhi High Court has expressed hope that the central government will sympathetically consider the plight of poor Hindu migrants from Pakistan living without electricity supply in a slum in the city.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma asked the Center to file its reply within two weeks on a petition that pertains to supply of electricity to around 800 such migrants, while seeking to state that for the last five to six years Why was no NOC issued to them? year for electricity distribution facility
“The land on which the jhuggis have been set up belongs to the Government of India/Department of Defense/DMRC, and in the absence of NOC from the land owning agency, the distribution company is not in a position to provide electricity connection. Including Justice Subramaniam Prasad in an order passed in
“This Court hopes and believes that the Government of India will look into the plight of the migrants sympathetically, and within two weeks affirmatively file an appropriate affidavit,” the court said.
The power distributor, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, told the court that NOC was required as some pillars would have to be erected to provide proper power on the ground.
Petitioner Hariom, who claims to be a social activist working for the welfare of minority migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in India, had moved the court last year, contending that the minority migrants from Pakistan More than 200 families, mostly from Sindh, were living without electricity in North Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar area for the past few years.
The court, in its order, said that the migrants, who had come to the country on long-term visas, were poor people who did not have permanent shelter and who had Aadhaar cards.
“It is also stated that there are small children, women in the area, and the absence of electricity has made it very difficult for these families to survive, and they are living in extremely harsh conditions,” it further recorded.
The court ordered, “Two weeks time is given to the learned counsel appearing for the Union of India to file an affidavit as to why NOC has not been issued to the expatriates of Pakistan who have been in power for the last five to six years.” living without.”
The counsel for the petitioner told the court that prepaid meters/electricity connections have been provided to other similar expatriates from Pakistan residing in Majnu-ka-Tilla.
He submitted that in the present case the migrants will not claim any right over the land due to the fact that they have been provided with electricity and are even ready to pay for electricity, and a prepaid recharge is provided to their house. meter can be installed. premises.
“Migrants who have come to India from Pakistan because of their religious persecution believed that coming to India would give their children a bright and secure future, but their present existence without electricity in the slum took away all of their meaningful existence. Dreams have been shattered. During the pandemic when all schools have gone online, there is no electricity in the jhuggis (slums) and the future of their children is bleak,” said the PIL filed through advocates Samiksha Mittal, Akash Bajpai and Ayush Saxena.
The High Court had in September last year issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, Delhi Government, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited and the District Magistrate of North Delhi on the petition.
Responding to the petition, an earlier affidavit filed by the Defense Estates Officer, Delhi Circle, Delhi Cantt, Ministry of Defence, states that “the respondent is not only the respondent, and not for providing electricity connection or providing any assistance to anyone”. The petition is not only wrong and frivolous and deserves to be dismissed in view of illegal encroachment of migrants.
The petition seeks a direction under the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (Supply Code and Performance Standards) Regulations, 2017 to provide electricity connections to migrants on the basis of their Aadhar card, long term visa and passport and to include these documents as identification. has sought. Proof and Aadhar Card as Occupancy Proof.
The next hearing of the case will be on October 6.