Parliament Question: Problem of encroachment in metropolitan cities

O.I.H.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3421 ANSWERED ON 23/03/2026 PROBLEM OF ENCROACHMENT IN METROPOLITAN CITIES

3421. SHRI NEERAJ DANGI:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the number of places in metropolitan cities where encroachments were removed during the last five years and the number of places out of these places where encroachments have reoccurred and if so, the action taken against the officials responsible for this;

(b) whether common citizens, especially the differently-abled and the elderly, are facing serious difficulties due to encroachment on footpaths and roads in many metropolitan cities and the immediate action plan of Government to rectify this situation; and

(c) whether Government is considering to make any permanent arrangements for rehabilitation of small street vendors, in addition to removing encroachments, so that the problem of encroachment does not arise repeatedly? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

(a) & (b): As per Entry 18 of the List II - State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, ‘Land’ and ‘Colonization’ are State subjects and matters related to illegal encroachment of Government land fall under the jurisdiction of the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT).

However, as far as properties under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

(MoHUA) are concerned, cases of encroachment are dealt through administrative action and instrumentalities like the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, and/or other applicable laws on the above subject.

During the last five years, Land and Development Office (L&DO) has removed nine (9) encroachments; Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has removed seven (7) encroachments in Delhi and one (1) encroachment in Mumbai; Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has undertaken more than 210 demolition programme for removal of encroachments on Government land in Delhi including eviction program to clear footpaths and road sides with the assistance of Delhi Police.

(c): In order to protect the rights of urban street vendors, the Government of India has enacted ‘The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014’. However, the responsibility of implementation of the same lies with respective States/Union Territories by framing Rules, Scheme, Bye-laws etc.

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