Slum demolition: NGT fine forced railway hand?

NEW DELHI: A sword is hanging over railway officers after National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the state-run transporter for not keeping the tracks around Delhi clean and asked it to recover the fine amount from the officers concerned.
While factors such as safety hazard due to encroachment and urgent need for extending rail infrastructure facilities were behind the railways' move to clear railway land at Shakur Basti and other places, the officials were also under pressure to keep platforms and tracks clean to abide by the NGT's order of December 7. The drive shows the seriousness and intent of the railways to obey the green court.

Noting "definite negligence" and "intentional lack of will" on the part of authorities, the NGT slammed railways for failure to keep tracks and platforms in Delhi clean.

However, the NGT directive had not talked about demolishing slums on rail land. A top source said the tracks are unclean due to piling of garbage and open defecation by slum dwellers living on encroached rail land and so it was decided to remove the encroachments.

He added, "The encroachments are safety hazards for train operation as well as for those living in slums around tracks. It is also roadblock in development of new infrastructure." Around 150 acres (60 hectares) of prime land in national capital worth thousands of crores is under encroachment, stalling several key railway projects.

In its order the green tribunal said, "There is a definite negligence on the part of all authorities... If railway tracks within a few km of the national capital cannot be kept clean, then it is really a sad state of affairs."

It added that the compensation amount would be recovered by the heads of departments of respective institutions after holding an inquiry. The green tribunal, which had also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and north municipal corporation, also warned authorities that if they failed to ensure cleanliness on railway property in the future, it would resort to more "coercive" measures.

"We will burden you with Rs 1 lakh fine per day. We are of the view that taxpayers' money should not be spent by default on public servants," it said.

The directions came after perusing a report filed by an advocate which highlighted alleged deficiencies on the part of concerned authorities and claimed piles of garbage was found across different stretches in capital.