HC stays rly eviction move at Malgodown

CUTTACK: The Orissa high court yesterday granted an interim stay on the eviction order issued by East Coast Railway (ECoR) to traders of Malgodown here to vacate the land by March 31.
Justice Biswanath Rath issued notices to railways and state government to file their replies within two weeks.
Challenging the eviction notice, traders filed a batch of petitions in the high court.They said Malgodown, the state's biggest wholesale commodity market, is in existence since 1866 and over 800 traders have been doing business for generations.
The railways had leased out the land to traders and since 1925, it had been giving licence to traders to do business. The railways started issuing eviction notices from February 20 to the traders, operating on the 25- acre business hub. "The court took cognizance of traders' contentions and asked the railways to submit details of its expansion plan at Malgodown. Cuttack collector has been asked to file a report about the alternative site they are planning to provide the traders," said Satya Ranjan Pati, a petitioner's counsel. The ECoR plans to expand the Cuttack railway station.