SCR GHMC in a fight
The South Central Railway has deployed 80 constables of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to protect its properties from being demolished by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Early on Friday morning, the GHMC had demolished compound walls of railway properties on the stretch of road from Sangeet theatre to Tarnaka for road-widening.
The SCR alleged that GHMC officials had trespassed on railway property at residential colonies, workshops, stores and other installations. According to SCR senior officials, the land was transferred to the Indian Railways from the Nizam Railways after Independence. The government does not have any right over the land, they said. “According to the revenue records of the state government, the properties belong to the South Central Railway. This was confirmed in 1998-99,” said Mr P. Krishnaiah, official spokesperson of the SCR.
“The GHMC should produce documents to prove that the land really belongs to the government,” he said. “The GHMC resorted to a very illegal and arbitrary action though we were ready to cooperate with the civic body for road-widening,” Mr Krishnaiah said.
Railway and GHMC officials had discussed the issue in October 2007. The corporation had reportedly agreed to pay Rs 190.62 crore as compensation to SCR if its properties are acquired by the corporation. GHMC officials, however, refuted the argument of their SCR counterparts. They said they would produce documents in the High Court on Monday to prove that the properties belong to the state government.
The GHMC argues that all Nizam properties were transferred to the government and the railways cannot claim the land as its own. Pending court orders, the corporation will not proceed further with the demolition of railway properties, said GHMC additional commissioner (planning) Dhanunjaya Reddy.
Source : The Hindu
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...
Talk Back : Make yourself heard