PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has instructed that the status quo be upheld regarding the demolition notices issued by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) concerning alleged illegal constructions on public land.
During a hearing of a writ petition, a division bench consisting of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Prashant Kumar provided the district administration and GDA additional time to outline their plans for rehabilitating the current occupants of the properties in question.
The court also prohibited the petitioners from forming any third-party interests or initiating any development on the contested property.
The court noted, “It is clear from the circumstances that the petitioners have resided at this location for the past 40-50 years.”
“At this juncture, we believe that some leniency and relief must be granted to the residents, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We further direct the authorities to devise and implement a rehabilitation plan for these individuals,” the court stated.
The bench ordered that the rehabilitation scheme be presented by the district administration and GDA at the next hearing, scheduled for August 22.
The petitioners filed this writ petition to overturn the demolition notice dated June 16, 2025, issued by the GDA under section 26-A of the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.
The GDA initially served notice to 172 illegal occupants of public land on September 6, 2024, related to the designated master plan.
In response, 89 individuals raised objections that were taken into account leading to the challenged order.
During the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel argued that the occupants are long-term residents, and without a legal rehabilitation plan, those belonging to economically weaker sections, who occupy small land parcels for their residences, would face irreparable harm if evicted.
After considering both sides, the court expressed in its order on July 31 the directives mentioned above and pointed out, “It has come to our attention that, in response to the previous order, the GDA has not yet undertaken any remedial actions to assist those who have illegally occupied these lands for 40 years.”
