CR bulldozes 17 houses, shops in Majri

Chandrapur: Despite opposition from political parties and social organizations and repeated pleas by the residents, the Central Railway on Tuesday demolished 17 houses and shops that had been constructed by encroaching railway land at Majri.
The railway administration had served notices to the 17 residents for encroaching its land nearly four decades ago and had asked them to vacate the premises. The railways had also warned the encroachers about the demolition drive through public announcement and had given ultimatum till May 14.
However, the encroachers were not ready to vacate the premises which have been their abode for 40 years and opposed the move.
The railway authorities finally moved in the morning under the protection of 400 cops and RPF personnel, and demolished the structures.
All 17 families lost their abode in the drive and were left out on the road in scorching summer heat.
As the authorities moved in to raze the structures, the residents pleaded to give them two days to remove their belongings. The officers, however, dismissed their requests and went ahead with the demolition, destroying all their assets in the houses and shops.
The demolition drive began at 6am and continued till late in the afternoon.
Former ZP member, Pravin Sur, president of Sudarshan Samaj Mahasangh Rajesh Revate and president of Traders’ Union Ulhas Ratnaparkhi rushed to the spot and opposed the action. They were, however, immediately arrested and kept under detention. They were released only after the drive ended.
Several other habitations on encroached railway land in Chandrapur and Ballarpur are faced with similar demolition in coming days. The Central Railway has served notices to hundreds of residents in Oriya Mohalla, Savarkar Nagar and Jalnagar in Chandrapur and Shanti Nagar in Ballarpur.
Chairman of the state public accounts committee and former finance minister MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar opposed the move and demanded arrangements for the encroachers before evicting them. He even held a meeting with collector and railway officials to press the demand and warned of strong consequences.
Delegations of Bharatiya Janata Party and Young Chanda Brigade led by MLA Kishor Jorgewar too met general manager, Central Railway, Anilkumar Lahoti, during his visit to Chandrapur and demanded respite for those evicted.