Rajkot: The Gujarat High Court has stayed the large-scale demolition drive planned by local authorities in the Jungleshwar area of Rajkot and directed officials to consider the state government’s 2013 rehabilitation policy for affected residents.

The High Court ordered a 90-day halt to the demolition operation initiated by the district collectorate to evict 1,357 tenants from around 1,05,800 square metres of government land in Jungleshwar. The court also directed the affected residents to approach the Gujarat Revenue Tribunal (GRT) regarding the land dispute and instructed the tribunal to dispose of the matter within 90 days.

Last week, the East Zone Mamlatdar’s office issued a final notice to all 1,357 occupants, asking them to vacate the land within seven days. Following this, the residents filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking to stop the demolition drive. The court had earlier granted interim protection to the petitioners until February 2 and resumed hearing the matter on Monday.

During the proceedings, the High Court sought clarification from the government on what alternative accommodation arrangements had been made for the residents. The government informed the court that accommodation had been allotted, but the bench asked for a detailed list of affected persons and adjourned the hearing until the afternoon.

The petitioners argued that the authorities had not provided sufficient time to present evidence or facts, calling the eviction process illegal, unfair, and unreasonable. They contended that under legal provisions, residents are entitled to a 90-day notice period and the right to appeal, which was not followed in this case. The petitioners also urged the court to ensure rehabilitation under the state’s 2013 resettlement scheme to protect the residents from becoming homeless overnight.

Accepting the arguments, the High Court granted major relief to thousands of Jungleshwar residents by staying the demolition for 90 days and directing the Gujarat Revenue Tribunal to decide the matter within the stipulated period. The order has brought significant relief to the affected families. DeshGujarat