Protest Against Marking of Encroachments in Jawahar Nagar Colony, Haldwani under Amrit Bharat Scheme,

Haldwani,,On 13 August 2025, in Jawahar Nagar Colony, located in front of Haldwani Railway Station, the Railway Police were carrying out measurements to identify encroachments. On receiving the information from local residents, activists from the Bhim Army reached the site and opposed the marking with red paint, preventing officials from proceeding. Railway authorities have also marked one temple and one mosque in the area.

Local residents are gripped with fear and deep anger over the possibility of losing their homes. They claim that they have been living here for the past 50 years, and many of their houses were even built under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme (PMAY). They question how they could be given benefits under a government housing scheme if they were indeed encroachers. They further argue that if the land was to be vacated, they should never have been allowed to settle here in the first place.

The protests have intensified, and residents have decided to unite and launch a movement. On this occasion, several people were present, including Mohammad Abrar, Afsar Malik, Ram Kumar, Raju Rajbhar, Mohammad Naushad, Zaira, Reshma, Babita, Maya Devi, Ram Babu, Munni Devi, Bahadur, Govind Rao, Govind Bisht, Mohan, Khalil Ahmed, Samundar Khan, Mobeen, Siraj Ahmed, Nafis Ahmed, Khan Jeetaram, Jeevan Arya, Harish Lodhi, Firoz Khan, Naveen Moolnivasi, Sanjay Tamta, and Mahesh Arya, among others.

Officials state that under the Amrit Bharat Scheme, encroachments on railway land around the station will be identified and removed. On the request of the Railways, the district administration has identified over 90 encroachments, and the process of issuing notices is underway. The removal will be carried out in a time-bound manner.

While railway expansion is considered necessary, the tensions arising between the authorities and the local population have created a volatile situation. The administration has formed joint teams to carry out identification, demarcation, and necessary legal actions regarding the encroachments.

This situation highlights both humanitarian and legal challenges during the railway expansion in Haldwani, raising serious concerns among residents about the safety and security of their homes in the future.

This incident is emerging as a major regional dispute, requiring a resolution between the administration and the local population.