Sao Jose de Areal locals demand Railways stop all work near Nessai railway gate

Newly-elected Areal Sarpanch Miguel Pascoal Gomes, panchayat members and villagers, including anti-track doubling and coal transportation activist Freddy Travasso on Thursday morning questioned the Railway officials for undertaking digging work near the Nessai level crossing.

When the project manager of the RVNL maintained that the Railways have submitted the relevant land records to the panchayat body, Sarpanch Miguel maintained that the RVNL has submitted incomplete documents since the land records do not bear the signatory of the district revenue authorities.

Caught on the wrong foot by the villagers and the panch members, the project manager admitted that the land record, though signed by railway officials, could not be signed by the authorities. He later told the sarpanch and the villagers that the relevant signed documents will be soon submitted in the office of the panchayat.

The sarpanch told the Railway officials to stop all work being undertaken near the level crossing till they submit the relevant land records to the panchayat. The Railway officials were further told to lift away the debris lying near the level crossing, as the people claimed that the debris is lying in private property.

While the Railways claimed that the Ralloi railway station is being built in the railway property, Freddy and others maintained that the Railways have been using the private properties to get into the railway property without the permission of the land owners.