Title - Railways blocks access to house at Atlantis

It has been three days since the daily affairs of Lawrence’s family have come to a standstill, with the Railways allegedly placing blocks of beams on the route to their house near the Atlantis gate. According to Lawrence the beams were set up on Friday without notice. “The authorities say that our house, located on the railway crossing stretch at the Atlantis junction is illegal, posing security issues,” he said. “The house was set up by our forefathers many years ago, even before the railway gate was set up there. It is unfair on the part of the Railways to block the path to our land as we are the rightful owners,” he added. The issue cropped up last week when four vehicles were caught between the railway crossing owing to the carelessness of the railway staff. “The route which leads to our house is close to the railway gate and the authorities feel that it is unsafe,” he said. He added that the issue could be easily solved if the Railways relocates the gate from its current position. “If the gate could be moved closer to the railway track, the issue can be easily solved. The railway line for which the gate has been set up here has been lying idle for the past eight years,” he said. Lawrence and his brother Suresh, who are also running a private business from the house, said that they would take legal recourse if the issue is not solved immediately. “This is our land and we have been living here like prisoners. We are not able to take out even our car. If the Railways is citing safety issues, we plead that they give us the required compensation and we will move from this place,” Suresh said. However, Railway area manager P L Ashok Kumar said that the beams were set up without his knowledge. “We have not been informed of the issue which is causing inconvenience to the family. We will immediately find a solution to the issue. We will also study the case to see if the family has legally set up their house in the area,” he said. Meanwhile, a letter has been sent to the Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Manager seeking to shift the railway gate.