MANGALURU: Efforts by Mysuru divisional authorities of South Western Railway to reclaim around 1,000 sq.mt of their land at Farangipete railway station that locals have encroached did not bear fruition for the fourth successive attempt on Thursday. The divisional authorities had to go back getting yet another date from local gram panchayat authorities who assured to remove the encroachment of railway property before January 15, 2019.Sources in Mysuru division of SWR told TOI that locals have encroached railway land at Farangipete and set up 17 shops using GI sheets. Railways had served notices to all these people on December 12, 2016 to vacate before December 22 that year. The encroachment removal was stopped at the behest of local authorities after removing six shops with the authorities asking the divisional railways for some time to relocate the people.Final eviction notices were served on November 13 and eviction was planned for November 17. This was again postponed and fixed on November 29 after discussion with district administration after being given a written assurance to fix any date after December 6. Accordingly eviction date was fixed on November 11 which was again postponed after discussion with the authorities Finally, November 13 was fixed as date for eviction.However, when the divisional authorities went ahead to reclaim their land on Thursday, they were faced with opposition from the locals. However, after much persuasion and explaining the legal position to the authorities concerned, the divisional authorities agreed to come back on January 15 as agreed by the local gram panchayat authorities, who in the interim assured to find a place to relocate the remaining 11 traders at a suitable place.Kumar, additional DC said administration requested the divisional authorities not to press for eviction at a time when state legislature is in session for any untoward incident here could reverberate in the discussion there. “The administration is duty bound to help the railways in reclaiming land that is theirs,” he said adding the advice was given on request from the district police chief who was not in a position to spare personnel for the eviction.Incidentally, the divisional authorities had also flagged this issue with the Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel at a review meeting that the MP had conducted with SWR authorities recently. “We did not barge to reclaim the land and have followed due process and waited patiently too,” the source told TOI, adding that the railways has plans to the land and could execute it only once they were in possession of the same.

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