Comprehensive current affairs 8 September 2020

SC orders removal of slum clusters near railways lines in Delhi. The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of about 48,000 slum clusters located within safety zones along railway tracks in Delhi within three months.The move could plunge nearly 230,000 poor residents into even deeper poverty. "No interference, political or otherwise, should be there and no court shall grant any stay with respect to removal of the encroachments," the judges said in this week's order, which did not mention any plans for rehousing residents. The court also direct stakeholders to prepare a comprehensive plan for removal of slum clusters. The plan is to be made and executed in a phased manner. The pandemic and strict months-long lockdown have left millions of people jobless in the world's second most-populous country, exacerbating the poor's access to food, healthcare and housing. Railways shall bear 70% of the expenses and the rest will be given by the Delhi government, the court directed.The court has sought an action-taken report to be filed within a month.