The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has raised concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding the expansion of the Cherlapally railway station by the South Central Railway (SCR). Accusing the SCR of keeping residents uninformed about the project’s impact, the HRF demanded that affected residents be provided with information on how the expansion would affect them.
Reports indicate that owners of 14 houses in Bharat Nagar and Mahalakshmi Nagar areas of Cherlapally have already received notices to vacate their homes. Despite procuring plots through legal means, residents have been asked to vacate without compensation, citing that the houses were built on railway land. Additionally, plans for road expansion on the northern side of the station have further fueled displacement concerns, with notices issued to residents without their inclusion in the decision-making process.
The forum criticized the lack of consultation with affected residents and proposed alternative approaches, such as utilizing existing roads, to minimize displacement. Residents demand the reconstruction of houses for those being displaced in Bharat Nagar and urge for a public consultation meeting with Mahalakshmi Nagar residents to address their concerns.