Demanding compensation, brother blocks Lalu's pet project

Mon, May 12 02:52 AM

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's pet project - a rail line connecting his ancestral village and his in-law's village in Gopalgunj district - has hit a roadblock erected by none other than his own elder brother Gulab Rai Yadav.

Gulab Rai has allegedly forcefully brought the construction work to a halt and demanded compensation for encroaching a piece of land that was "irregularly" settled in his wife's name during the previous RJD regime.

According to papers available with The Indian Express, in 2004, a plot of 87 decimal was settled in favour Kunti Devi, wife of Gulab Yadav of Phulwaria village. Rules have it that "gair-majurua" land (government land) should be settled in favour of a landless person hailing preferably from SC, ST or OBC: Annexure I category (i.e. Extremely Backward Class).

Gulab Rai belongs to OBC: Annexure II category. In 2004, he was the elected the panchayat pramukh and owns a two-storey

pucca house and a jeep. However, throwing rules to the wind, district authorities termed him a landless person and settled the government land in his favour.

Now, the land had been acquired by the state Government for laying a new railway line connecting Hathua in Bihar and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, and Gulab Rai is crying foul, demanding compensation for encroachment on "his" land.

Railway authorities are working round the clock to complete this new railway line that will also connect Lalu's ancestral Phulwaria and Rabri's Salar Kela village. Railway authorities, so far, have not complained about work being stopped as it involves the brother of the minister.

"Yes Gulab Rai came and asked us to stop the work. We started the work a month ago, but are unable to lay the foundation for a building as Gulab Rai has told us that the work will not start till he gets the money for his land," Kanhaiya Mishra, a contractor, working at Phulwaria, told reporters.

The issue has created flutters among authorities in the Nitish Kumar Government, as in a similar case, Sudish Yadav - son of Lalu's nephew Ramanand Yadav - was paid a compensation of around Rs 2 lakh by the state's land acquisition department.

Sudish Yadav's "irregularly" acquired 50-decimal land was also used for the railway project. Compensation for the land was paid by the railways through the state Government.

"My son has received a payment of around Rs 2 lakh for the land, but Gulabjee is yet to receive payment for his land. Authorities have created some problem," said Ramanand Yadav, Sudish's father. Gulab Rai could not be contacted as he was reported unwell.

The Gopalgunj authorities have been caught on the wrong foot. First ,they paid compensation to Sudish Yadav for a land that was "irregularly" settled in his name and now, they have now withheld the payment to Gulab Rai for a similar claim.

Further worsening the matter for the authorities is a rule that clearly states that a government land transferred to a landless cannot be "re-transferred" or sold to someone.

Here, one of the landowners has received monetary benefit for letting go the land and the second one is demanding money. But since it was a government land, irregularly settled in someone's name, the Government did not require to pay compensation for it.

When asked, Gopalgunj ADM Parmanand Singh confirmed that the land was not transferable and if it happened, then it was wrong. "We will hold a probe and suitable action would be taken," he said.

Hathua SDO, Parmeshwar Ram, too, said that if the settlements were wrong then they would be cancelled. "Rules have it that preference should be given to SC, ST and EBC members. If the transfer of government land in Gulab Rai and Sudish Yadav's name is found wrong, then it will be cancelled," he said. Asked about the work being forcefully stopped by Lalu's brother, he said that the railways has not complained so far, and they would act as soon as it is brought to their notice.

Railways authorities refused to speak over the issue, saying that the state Government deals with land acquisition. "We pay money for the acquired land to the state Government which then transfers it to the land owner. We are not involved," said a railway officer.

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