Pune: Encroachments near the railway tracks are a big hurdle for development of railways infrastructure. Therefore, Pune division has planned to remove all the encroachments (huts and shops) near Shivajinagar railway station. The authority has also sent notices to 186 illegal huts and shops to vacate the place before December 15 or face tough action by Government Railway Police, Pune police and Railway Protection Force.
Sources from the Pune railway division have revealed that encroachments near Shivajinagar railway station was posing a big hurdle for development of the station. “Since last one year, we have been sending notices to these illegal huts and shops to vacate the place, but the locals are not responding. We have sent notices in the first week of November this year and asked them to vacate, as we will remove it before December 15. There are 186 illegal huts and shops,” said a highly placed officer with the Pune division.
As per the information, there are 63 illegal huts on the down side platform (trains coming from Lonavla to Pune are called down) and these huts are present till Khadki end. Similarly, at the same platform at the end of Pune division limits, there are 66 illegal huts. This is creating a problem while increasing the length of the platform. While on the up platform (the trains going from Pune to Lonavla), there are 30 huts and all were due for resettlement, as per the Bombay High Court order of 2003, which stated that these huts should be 10 metres away from the platform.
The biggest obstacle is near platform number one. As per the sources, there are 27 shops, which are totally illegal and situated near platform number one and nearby PMPML bus stand. Out of this, 17 shops hold licence by the Railways. The Railways had provided 4 square metre land per shop. As per the agreement, the Railways had to give 24 hours notice to the slum dwellers before telling them to vacate the place.
Spokesperson of Pune division Manoj Jhawar told Sakal Times, “We have sent eviction notice to these huts. We request people to vacant the place and help the Railways to cooperate.”
