Rlys recovers property at Malleswaram

The South Western Railway (SWR) on Sunday recovered its property near the Swastik Metro Railway Station at Malleswaram after a report appeared in Deccan Herald on the illegal occupation of the same by Hamara Shelters, a subsidiary of Mantri Builders.

In a major eviction drive, SWR recovered at least 3,800 sq metres (approximately 34,200 sq ft) of land, which Mantri Developers had encroached upon near the Mantri Mall. The builder had put up a huge full-height barricade with galvanized iron sheets mounted on steel pipes all around the Railway land to avoid the visibility of the construction area and put up quality assurance, quality control lab, mixer plant, staff canteen and first aid room. Besides, a huge quantity of construction materials were dumped and stacked in the Railway land. The Railway officers demolished the barricade, dismantled all the temporary structures erected by the builder and its other subsidiaries. The Indian Railways said that removal of unauthorised structures were on the anvil because there were ‘inputs’ about the wrong-doings by the firm. The Railway authorities were in touch with BMRCL too, to know the illegalities happening there. However, the officers were sitting on the ‘inputs’ till the report appeared in the newspaper. The Indian Railways said in a press note issued on Sunday, “When it was learnt that land records had been manipulated quietly by the builder and the BMRCL had indicated that it had nothing to do with the construction of Swastik Metro Station Complex and allied development, no time was lost in moving ahead with the eviction drive.” The Railway authorities also found that not only the activities taking place within the barricade ‘was illegal but also unsafe’. As there are indications from the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that more Railway land near Mantri Mall is still under the illegal custody of the builder, the Railways said it would get in touch with the BBMP Revenue department to claim its property back, Railway sources said. “The land was purchased from National Textile Corporation a long ago. Both, Railway department and Mantri, were open to go in for a survey of the property two days ago. But unfortunately the railway department illegally demolished the steel barricade structures yesterday mid night. We are definitely taking legal action on the same,” said a spokeperson for Mantri Developers