Residents of Chinraj Nagar on Friday staged a rail roko near Rathinapuri here urging the authorities to provide them with alternate places to live before razing down their houses.

According to sources, the Railways, armed with a Government Order, had asked the residents – who have been living there for the last four decades – to vacate their houses immediately.

“We have been living here since 1992 and paying property tax, water tax regularly. All of even have residential proof also. The authorities should make alternate arrangements for us before asking us to vacate,” they said.

“Our houses are 90 feet away from the rail track. Structures within 40 feet only should be removed,” the residents argued.

Railway officials, who descended on the scene with Central Police Protection Force and local police to handle the crowd (who had assembled to stop the authorities from bringing down their houses) returned after local MLA P.R.G. Arun Kumar urged the District Collector to stop the demolition.