Rehabilitate all encroachers: Piyush Goyal

Mumbai: Union railway minister Piyush Goyal has asked the BMC to rehabilitate those who have encroached the Hancock road overbridge (ROB), which was dismantled in 2016. In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Goel said that the railway could not rehabilitate encroachers on the approach of the Hancock ROB. Considering the BMC’s need for additional land, it should carry out the required relief and rehabilitation (R&R) from its own pocket. While the railway will make available the land on lease as per the policy. Meanwhile, BMC officials refused to comment on this letter.

According to the letter, due to poor and unsafe conditions, the CR had demolished BMC’s Hancock ROB near Sandhurst Road station in 2016. The civic body had already planned reconstruction of the ROB and the agency for reconstruction had also been fixed. While reconstructing the new ROB, the BMC had also planned to increase its width from 18.3m to 30.0m to cater to present-day requirements.

The letter further stated that despite the clearance, the construction had not yet commenced as the BMC needed additional land on the approach part. As per section 147 of the Railway Act, if any person entered upon or into any part of the railway without lawful authority, he or she may be evicted from the said property. Moreover, the central government did not have any separate policy for slum rehabilitation and improvement. Taking into consideration these aspects, rehabilitation of the encroachers on the approach of the Hancock ROB.