'179 illegal religious structures exist on railway properties'

As many as 179 illegal religious structures exist on railway properties, including on platforms and yards across the country, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

These structures including temples, dargahs (shrines) and mosques have existed since long, Vaishnaw said in a written reply.

“Efforts to remove these illegal religious structures from all station platforms or yards have been taken by the railway administration along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) with the assistance of local administration and Government Railway Police (GRP),” he said.

The railway authorities were closely monitoring to ensure “no further expansion or extension takes place.” Whenever railway authorities tried to remove these strecrures, they faced public agitation, the minister said, adding that the state governments' help is needed to clear such structures.

He also said that the railways is trying to amicably settle the issue by persuading the members of the religious structure committee to shift the location of the religious structures to other places outside railway areas.

Vaishnaw said the railways is also taking steps to ensure that no new structure comes up on its properties.