The Western Railway (WR) will seal 37 stalls across suburban stations after vendors failed to pay their water bills and defaulted on up to ₹9.5 crore over six years.
Three stalls at Marine Lines station have been sealed as a part of the drive by covering them in tarpaulin sheets. WR officials intend to seal 37 stalls on platforms between Churchgate and Virar in the coming week.
Action in phases
According to WR officials, the stalls operators owe around ₹9.5 crore in lieu of unpaid water bills between 2005 and 2011. Officials said that stalls will be sealed in phases as sealing all of them in one go would inconvenience passengers.
“We will ensure that we recover the dues. It is high time that they are penalised for defaulting. Ample notices have been served to these stalls over the years,” Chief Public Relations Officer Ravindra Bhakar said.
Railway officials said that they have been paying water bills to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic agencies but have not been able to recover the dues from stall owners.
Dragged to court
According to WR officials, the stall owners had also gone to court over the issue. However, the court asked railway authorities to reassess the situation and take a final call.
According to an RTI filed by Samir Zaveri, the WR owes the BMC over ₹100 crore in water bills between April 2007 and November 2017. Mr. Zaveri said, “It is a step in the right direction. WR should take action and recover the dues. However, the commercial component is just one part of the overall dues it owes the BMC.” The railways and the BMC have been periodically meeting to settle the issue of dues.
