New Delhi: A three-member family, consisting of a widow in her mid-50s and her son and daughter, was evicted from their residence in Chandausi town in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district within an hour of officials serving an eviction notice. The notice said that their home encroached on the entrance of a “historic” stepwell uncovered last month. After being evicted, the family had to take refuge at a friend’s place.
According to senior officials, the family of Gulnawaz B, who is aged 54, had faked their land documents. Around three weeks back, they had been told to evacuate the house. On Friday evening, the municipal council gave the family a 24-hour ultimatum to vacate, but because of administrative pressure, they were forced to leave their home immediately.
The Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972, mandates that eviction notices must give occupants at least 10 days to respond. Similarly, under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, notices for unauthorised constructions generally grant 15 to 40 days for rectification or to file an appeal before enforcement actions are taken.
Gulnawaz reportedly received the notice around 5 pm, ordering the family to vacate the property within 24 hours. However, by 6 pm, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nidhi Patel and Tehsildar Dhirendra Singh reportedly arrived with a team and a bulldozer, and forced the family to leave immediately. The authorities explained that the house had to be cleared because the entrance to the stepwell was located underneath it.
‘No compensation assured’
Gulnawaz told Times of India that even though she had been evicted from her house, no compensation has been assured. “The officials told us to file an FIR against those who sold us the land, but we don’t know where to start.” Her son Shakeeb, aged 35, said that his father, who was a carpenter, built the house in 2017. His mother ekes out a living and sustains the family by sewing. He added that they have no place to go in this harsh cold and have appealed to the administration for help.
Sambhal DM Rajender Pensiya said that the house registration documents were forged, and the property was sold fraudulently. He pointed out that the family was verbally informed about this 20-25 days back and had consented to raze the house on their own. Their name has since been added to the eligibility list for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the DM said.
It was on December 21 that the stepwell was unearthed during an excavation following complaints of illegal encroachment. Till now, three floors of the historic structure have been uncovered. However, the work was stopped last month when a portion of the stepwell was found to be underneath nearby houses. Notices were issued to residents, urging them to submit documents for verification.
An official engaged in the excavation reportedly said that the stepwell was crucial for water conservation. He added that cracks have been discovered in its walls, and debris from nearby structures was putting additional pressure on it. According to law, no construction is allowed on stepwell land, the official remarked.
