A land ownership dispute between the Central Railways, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has erupted near King's Circle railway station, causing confusion among residents and civic bodies alike.
Last week, a joint meeting was held at the office of Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi to address the ongoing demolition and redevelopment activities in the area.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Zone II), Prashant Sapkale, stated that the BMC had handed over the land to the SRA long ago and therefore no longer has jurisdiction over the site. "We have informed Railway officials that the appropriate authority for demolition or construction on the said plot is the SRA and not the BMC," said Sapkale.
An official from the F-North ward, under which the King's Circle station falls, confirmed that the ward office has no record of a court stay or any ongoing legal proceedings concerning the land. “I confirmed with Railway officials regarding complaints of demolition near the old ticket counter, but was told there is no ongoing court case,” said a senior ward officer.
Contradicting this, a Central Railway official stated that a portion of the land belongs to the Railways and is currently subject to an old legal case. “The BMC claims the land has been handed over to the SRA, but we maintain that part of it is still under Central Railway ownership,” the official said.
"The railway station is more than a hundred years old—how can anyone demolish a portion of the old booking office located near platform number two?" added another senior railway official.
Meanwhile, the SRA claims the land belongs to the BMC and is already under an approved slum redevelopment scheme being executed by Ashiayana Developers. “The encroached portion, including slums and an unused booking office, was included in the annexure submitted during project approval,” a senior SRA official explained. He further added that if the Railways claim ownership, they should produce a property card proving it. “Otherwise, they have no authority to oppose the redevelopment or the demolitions,” he said.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) was issued to Ashiayana Developers several years ago, and the demolition of structures as part of the redevelopment has now begun. According to one of the slum dwellers, the developer has already handed out two years’ worth of rent in advance, in line with standard rehabilitation procedures. “We accepted the rental cheques, but the Railways are now creating obstacles in the process,” he alleged.
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