Illegal stalls outside Haji Ali to go in two weeks after SC order

Mumbai: After the Supreme Court directed the Maharashtra state government to ensure that the encroachments outside the Haji Ali dargah be cleared within two weeks on Monday, the counsel for the state, A B Vagyani, said that the state has already started the process of getting the land around Haji Ali durgah vacated and freed from encroachments.

The same would be completed after those eligible for rehabilitation were given alternate options. He also said that the Haji Ali durgah trust was also extending its support in this regard and the state would be in a position to comply with the apex court order.

State government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani said that following the previous SC order, the state and collector had started collating details of the illegal pitches outside the Haji Ali dargah premise. “The collector with the help of the dargah trust has identified the illegal stalls that need to be vacated and work on the same will be started within the next few days,” said Mr Vagyani. He added that the dargah trust had identified a few stalls that had proper licenses and after proper verification a decision would be taken on them. “The government will comply with the apex court order and will complete the eviction and clearing the area around the Haji Ali dargah within two weeks,” said Mr Vagyani.

One of the trustees of Haji Ali dargah said that since the matter was in the SC, the trust had been aiding the collector and the state government officials to identify the areas around the dargah that were encroached. Suhail Khandwani, a trustee of the Haji Ali trust said, “We respect all the SC orders and are extended all help required to identify the main dargah area. There are around 12-15 licensed stalls, details of which have also been furnished to the concerned authorities.”

Under scanner

• The are 60-70 stall on the entire approach road to the dargah.
• Illegal stalls are concentrated on the offshore side on the approach to the dargah.
• Only few stalls have license near the shore.  
• The Supreme Court order states that any structure within an area of 500 sq.m of the dargah is an encroachment and should be evicted.
• The apex court had directed the trust to remove them failing which a special task force of the HC would have to intervene and get the eviction done.