The Railway has shot off a letter to the Kochi Corporation on Monday, seeking speedy rehabilitation of the around two dozen families who have encroached on the Old Railway Station (formerly, Ernakulam Railway Goods Station) premises.
This follows delay in rehabilitating the encroacher families, despite the Railway awarding the work to replace tracks and other utilities at the station, abandoned when train operations shifted to Ernakulam Junction station.
“Three of the families have directly encroached the tracks and we cannot begin the work unless they are removed,” said a Railway official. Though two lines have to be activated to enable operation of adequate number of trains from here, efforts are on to divert at least one train from Ernakulam Junction station for the time being.
Mayor Soumini Jain said the rehabilitation of families was included in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). It would be done in a time-bound manner, simultaneous with Railway commencing track renovation work, she said.
Loan or grant
Under the scheme, the beneficiaries can chose from between a loan or a grant.
General convenor of Old Railway Station Vikasana Samity K.P. Harihara Kumar said any further delay in resuming train operations to the station would result in the 40-acre property falling into the wrong hands. “The Railway must optimally utilise the ₹5 crore awarded to the project. The Samity will take up the issue with the Mayor and we cannot afford to lose more time,” he said.
