Outsiders enjoy free ride on Rlys’ patch of green

The scheme was intended to keep encroachers off tracks and offer employees additional income. Accordingly, Class III and IV employees were given one or more plots measuring an acre each for Rs 1,000 a year.

According to the Estate Officer of the Railways’ Engineering Department, the plots are offered for two years, extendible to five years at the most.

If 15-year-old Phoolchand — who says he is a farmer — is to be believed, there are no railway employee on the plots any more.

Phoolchand works for Athya Seth Bhajiwala along the stretch between Western Railways’ Elphinston Road station and Central Railways’ Parel station.

Walk along the tracks and you come across Tulsi Raj Chauhan who employs two persons.

‘‘I am the seth here. The seth to whom I pay is a railway employee. He works at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. I pay him Rs 5,000 a year.’’

Chauhan has been using his plot between Parel and Currey Road stations to grow vegetables for four years.

Subletting against the rules is routine with Central Railway workers. Their counterparts in Western Railway ‘‘rent out’’ their 8 ft x 8 ft hut instead of vegetable plots.

Ram Bahal Balak Maurya, 50, said: ‘‘I have been working here for ages. I am not a railway employee. I pay Rs 3,100 at the railway office.’’ He shows the Western Railway letterhead that authorises him to build an 8 x 8ft tapri. His family stays on the two acres.

Half a km away, there are more tapris. These have all been rented to another family. Autorickshaw driver Ahmed Sheikh said: ‘‘ My father got this land. He was never a railway employee. Now, my brother works on it and every year we pay a rent of Rs 3,000 to the railways.’’

Western Railways’ Chief PRO Manijit Singh said: ‘‘I am unaware of this. I will look into it.’’