ERG station renovation: Rehab of families remains on paper

Kochi: The Kochi Corporation has rechanneled the Rs two crore fund earmarked in its budget for the rehabilitation of 21 families who “encroached” into the Old Railway Station, formerly Ernakulam Railway Goods station, with the station's renovation work continuing to to get affected by the failure to shift the colony. The railways had  sanctioned the station  renovation project and allocated necessary funds almost two years back.   It was also included  among the seven priority projects of the Kerala  Rail Development Corporation Ltd, a joint venture formed in a 51:49 partnership between the Government of Kerala and the Indian Railways.

However, failure to rehabilitate the two dozen families that encroached on its 40-acre premises has forced the railways to delay the project implementation. While the colony residents and the Old Railway Station Vikasana Samiti blamed Kochi Corporation for the inordinate delay, Mayor Soumini Jain insisted that the process was on. “We had kept aside Rs two crore for the purpose. But the demands of the residents vary, with some agreeing for compensation while others require house or land. Hence I have included it under the Urban Poverty Alleviation Department (UPAD) programme and asked the concerned officials to study the demands and prepare three packages or choices. A meet will be held as soon as they submit it and the process completed,” the Mayor said.

“However, the Rs two crore fund allocated for the rehabilitation process will lapse at the end of the financial year. We can always allot fresh funds for the project if the residents choose the apt package for them,” she added. K P Harihara Kumar, Old Railway Station Vikasana Samiti general convener, said the corporation started the rehabilitation process a year ago but “it reached nowhere.” He said that this “ laxity” had not only delayed the project but also made the life of the colony residents difficult. Babu, a colony resident, said successive governments had made promises but no proper compensation or rehabilitation package was being offered. “Currently we’re even without basic facilities such as drinking water,” he said.