MOHALI: A local court has ordered the attachment of Mohali railway station and two locomotives after the railways failed to pay the enhanced compensation rates to the residents of a village from whom it had acquired land in 1999. Counsel for the petitioners, Gurwinder Singh Sandhu said, “The court gave the orders after railways failed to turn up for the hearing.” The land was acquired by the railways in Kambala village to construct the Chandigarh-Ludhiama rail line.
Official vehicles of the concerned railway officers will also be attached. Railways have been asked to file a reply by September 22 failing which the court will give orders to auction the property to pay the compensation to the original land owners. Sandhu said, “Although these attachment orders are given in one petition, there are numerous land owners who have not been compensated as per the enhanced rates given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The HC had then sent the case to the district court.”
The case pertains to the acquisition of over seven acres of land for £1,70,000. Railways had announced an award of Rs 5,52,000 per acre in 2001 which was enhanced to Rs 7,50,000 in 2004 and further raised to Rs 23,34,000 after the villagers approached the court alleging inadequate compensation.
