GUWAHATI, June 10 ? Large-scale encroachment of railway land all over the State has turned out to be a major problem not only for the railways but also for the society as a whole as both sides of the railway tracks in Guwahati city have become dens of anti-social elements. Encroachment of railway land is not a new problem but the issue has come into focus once again in the wake of the eviction drive launched by the forest department against the encroachers of forest land and the concerned citizens are of the view that if the forest department can launch eviction drive, there is no reason why the railways cannot do the same.
In Guwahati city both sides of the railway tracks have been occupied by encroachers and these areas have become dens of anti-social elements as gambling dens. Country liquor dens are doing flourishing business in those areas. From time to time, the railway authorities launch eviction drives, but reencroachment is a common phenomenon as no step has been taken to protect the land. According to railway sources, the area upto 15 metres from the centre of the track is the security zone, but the encroachers have constructed makeshift houses within a few feet of the tracks, which increases the risk of accidents. Some people have even constructed permanent structures on railway land and it is unlikely that the railway authorities would ever be able to evict the same for commercial utilisation of the land.
Official sources said that the State Government is planning to approach the railway authorities with a proposal to convert the encroached land on both sides of the track passing through the Guwahati city into a small road for slow moving vehicles to ease the traffic congestion in the city roads. Now it remains to be seen whether the railway authorities accept the proposal, which will not only ease the traffic congestion in the city but also reduce the problem of encroachment.
Railway sources revealed that according to an estimate, 155.089 hectares of railway land in the State is under the grip of encroachers and in the last one year, the railway authorities launched 23 eviction drives in different parts of the State. Railway sources said that the railways do not have adequate force to launch encroachment drives on a regular basis and they have to depend on availability of police force. There have been instances when encroachers turned hostile and railway officials had to come under attack. Recently the railway officials had to come under attack. Recently the railway officials, who went for evicting a liquor shop set up in railway land in Amingaon area of the city came under attack, but they were saved by timely arrival of police force. The have also been instances when the residence phone lines of the railway officials leading eviction drives were snapped by the miscreants.
Railway sources revealed that political interference also creates problems for the railway authorities in launching eviction drives. Whenever an eviction drive is launched, the political leaders obviously see the same as an opportunity to gain popularity and jump into the fray to stall such drives and this has become a regular phenomenon not only in Assam but also in other parts of the country. However, political interference against eviction drive is not only a problem for the railways as a number of political parties have launched agitations against the ongoing eviction drive by the forest department.
It may be mentioned here that in the early 1990s, the railway authorities had launched a massive eviction drive and cleared the encroachments on both sides of the road leading to the Guwahati railway station. Even concrete structures were demolished in the Kalibari area near the railway station and the area was immediately protected with fencing. A railway institute building was later constructed in that area. But unfortunately no step was taken to protect the other evicted land and the encroachers have again grabbed the land. Now the point is, if the railways could launch such eviction drives ten years back, there is no reason why such drives cannot be launched now.
Meanwhile, railway sources said that the railway authorities have decided to go for commercial use of the vacant railway land all over the country and such steps have already been initiated in some States including West Bengal. A vacant railway plot in the Ambari area of the city has already been handed over to the RITES for development of a commercial complex.