Mumbai: ‘Illegal structures on railway land halting major infra projects in city,' says WR

Mumbai: Activists and railway commuters’ association are completely supportive of the Western Railway’s (WR) action against encroachment by slums outside Bandra station. They alleged that several railway projects are being put in cold storage owing to encroachment on railway land.

On Feb 7, WR and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) started removal of encroachments outside the station but was halted after the Bombay High Court stayed the process.   

Chairman of Railway Pravasi Sangh, Nand Kumar Deshmukh said, “All encroachments on railway land should be removed. Many development projects are on hold because of innumerable encroachments. For instance, the Kalwa-Airoli elevated line and laying of the fifth and sixth lines from Kalyan to CSMT are also not progressing because of such structures.”

Deshmukh said that the government makes stringent laws so that no government agency or the courts stay encroachment removal. “I also oppose the rehabilitation of unauthorised shanties because slum dwellers give their homes on lease and again erect shanties on government land,” he said.

"It’s the railways’ mistake"

RTI activist Anil Galgali said, “It’s the railways’ mistake, and there is a Government Resolution (GR) for rehabilitating these slums. The railways, BMC and other authorities concerned should visit the sites and rehabilitate the eligible dwellers as per law.”

Another activist, Godfrey Pimenta said costs have escalated for infrastructure projects that have been stayed. “Because of encroachment, or the stay order from HC, the railways can’t connect certain patches on the 5th and 6th lines. Halting major projects is not in the interest of the nation. I feel the railways should appeal in the Supreme Court,” he said.

Pimenta also blamed the railways for allowing encroachments in the first place, let alone allowing construction of two to three levels of these illegal structures.

WR’s chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said, We removed 101 shanties built out of bamboo and plastic sheets. The eligible inhabitants of concrete structures will get rehabilitation under the Project Affected People scheme, with help from MMRDA. But this matter is sub-judice, so we will act as per the court orders.”

Judges slams the railways

The HC had stayed the demolition in Greater Mumbai on WR land till March 1. The judges rapped the railways for merely issuing notices without taking any steps for rehabilitation or citing their eligibility for beneficial schemes like the Prime Minister Awaas Yojana (PMAY). 

The court also asked the railways, MMRDA and the BMC to provide information on whether they “have in place any rehabilitation policy or system, and what the eligibility criteria is”. Taking note of the larger problem, the court said merely labelling these persons as “encroachers” and displacing them will not solve the problem.