RailEnquiry

JAMSHEDPUR: South Eastern Railway (SER) authorities are likely to probe the alleged Illegal allotment of abandoned railway quarters in the Tatanagar railway colony to unauthorized people for money. The illegal practice has been going on for the past several years and will now be probed to identify the officials responsible.

The SER authorities recently ordered demolition of more than 250 abandoned quarters. But subsequent to the demolition order, the authorities are now planning to conduct a departmental probe into the matter to identity the culprits. "A few more abandoned quarters will be demolished and a departmental probe will be conducted to identify and expose the officials in the Tatanagar and the Chakradharpur divisions," said a senior railway official at SER's Garden Reach headquarters. According to sources, most of the 3,000 quarters in the Baghbera, Burmamines, Loco Colony, Carriage Colony areas near the Tatanagarstation have been allotted to unauthorized people for huge money. "The issue is not just about illegal allotment, but a large part of 100 acre is illegally leased out to the people for building construction purpose in exchange of money and this cannot be possible without the involvement of a section of the senior officials at the divisional level," said a senior railway official.

SER general manager A K Verma, who launched a drive to clear the abandoned quarters, said: his immediate task was to clear all the abandoned quarters.

"As soon as I was informed about the matter, I ordered the demolition of nearly 250 abandoned quarters and I will ensure that all such quarters are demolished." Though he did not categorically respond to a query on his plans to identify the culprits, authorities at Garden Reach are now suggesting that a departmental probe will soon be announced into the matter.