Eviction Notice: Residents of Old Rr PETA Living on Disputed Railway Lands See Red
Vijayawada: Residents of Old Rajarajeswari Peta, particularly those living near the railway track, are on the brink of eviction by the Railways. Around 1,000 houses constructed on Indian Railway land are currently home to approximately 10,000 people forming into 2000 families.
These people have been asked to vacate the area and relocate elsewhere within the next 10 days. The authorities claim that the land on which they have constructed permanent houses is railway property.
“We pay all kinds of municipal taxes, power bills. Until recently, we even paid the garbage cess. We have been living here for over 30 years. If the railways evicts us forcefully, we will end our lives here,” said 42-year-old Papayamma.
“Had the government warned us against constructing permanent houses and stopped laying roads and drains and collecting taxes from us at the beginning, these issues would not have arisen now,” she contended.
Around four days ago, the railway authorities, accompanied by a few police officers, announced through tom-toming that the residents must vacate their homes within 15 days.
“It has become routine for the railway authorities to cause us distress,” rues B Kanthamma. She lives in her asbestos-roofed house near Mahankalamma temple road on the disputed railway property in Old RR Pet. She senses that this time the railway authorities will forcefully evict them from the area. I lived here for nearly 45 years,” she said.
“Earlier, the railway authorities would only visit our locality and orally ask us to vacate. This time, they have used tom toms, and it looks like we’re all in serious trouble,” Kanthamma adds.
Over the years, the elected representatives of successive governments have temporarily stopped the railways from evicting the residents. “We plead that the government provide a permanent solution to the issue,” demands Syed Shahina, who, along with a group of women, has been protesting against the railway’s move near Erra Katta under a shamiana for the past four days.
