Demanding compensation, brother blocks Lalu’s pet project

Patna, May 11 : 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...

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