Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday asked the central government to frame a rehabilitation scheme for displaced retired Kashmiri bureaucrats here, and quashed the eviction notices issued against them for overstaying in government accommodation on the ground that they lost their properties in Kashmir due to militancy.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, however, said the government would be free to frame the rehabilitation scheme for such employees, and it could specify the terms and conditions on which they would be entitled to alternate residence.

The court dismissed the appeal filed by the government challenging the single-judge bench’s December 2010 order directing it to make all endeavours to adequately, effectively and reasonably rehabilitate and re-settle the retired Kashmiri employees.

“We do not find any fault with the direction given by the single judge in the judgement. However, we make it clear that these directions are given keeping in view the salient and peculiar facts of these cases pertaining to right to shelter,” the court said.

“It would also be open to the government to specify the nature of accommodation to which such retired government servants would be entitled to the place where they will be rehabilitated which may not necessarily be in Delhi but can be in NCR (the national capital region),” the court said.

The court also said: “After the scheme is framed, the cases of respondents can be scrutinised in terms of scheme and those families not eligible can be ousted from the present accommodations.”