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Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a nationwide rehabilitation plan for the poor people who have encroached upon railway land. The pilot project ‘Sukhi Griho’ will be initiated in Bengal and then replicated in other states across the country.
Railways will provide the land for rehabilitation and in a joint venture with the state Urban Development Ministry, it will build one-room flats and allot them to the encroachers for free. “The Railways have taken a policy decision. Thousands of people are settled on railway land. This leads to two major problems — Railways cannot run smoothly and the lives of these people are endangered,” said Banerjee, while flagging off four new local trains — two from Sealdah and two from Ranaghat — at the Sealdah station today.
Adding that flats will be built for these encroachers under the Balmiki Abas Yojna, the Trinamool chief said: “If only these people agree, we will provide them with alternate housing. Railways will earmark plots near the place where they are settled now.”
Citing the example of Mumbai, where work is on to rehabilitate encroachers, Banerjee said: “The poor people have no papers and they stay in slums alongside rail tracks. The flats they will get may be small, but these will ensure they are provided with basic hygiene.”
On the Railways’ acquisition of Braithwaite and Burn Standard, Banerjee said officials will soon visit the two sick wagon manufacturing PSU ‘s in Bengal. “We have already provided orders for 500 wagons each for the two. We are working on plans for their rejuvenation,” she added.
‘If I resign, will the dead come back?’
On the Jnaneswari Express tragedy, Mamata Banerjee reiterated her claim that it was a political conspiracy. “Investigations will reveal the truth. They (CPM) are asking for my resignation. Why should I resign? If I resign, those who died will not come back. Many die in road accidents daily, so the chief minister should also resign,” she said.
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The brilliance of our leaders and the stupidity of the sheep who vote for them know no bounds. Since this scheme is announced and publicised, the number of encroachers will increase in the short term so as to avail benefit of this scheme. Who is to decide who is eligible for housing under this scheme. of course its thelocal magistrate and through him the local MLa, MP. Another lucrative scheme devised by our politicos.There are lakhs of law abiding citizens who struggle and have 10 people living in a single room in chawls. These people are now being punished for obeying the law. also, is there no accountability of public money? Is it the duty of the railways minister to provide housing for people encoraching railway land? she should better spend her energies fixing the pathetic and outdated railway system, making it safer and more efficient. Of course, honesty and decency - too much to expect in this country.
Illegal encroachers are the problem of corruption and misuse of funds meant for rural development in India. Instead of nipping the problem in the bud, this Didi intends to compensate illegal encroachers for illegally occupying railway land for free in all metros and wherever. For winning an election, a politician will do anything. This just proves the point. Honest citizens and tax payers are paying a heavy price for these opportunist politicians and they still do not go to vote. So, this is a never-ending farce. Why does she not take all these illegal encroachers to her home state in WB?
Congrats to Bengal Railway Minister. We should also appoint another Rail Minister for Rest of India. Pity this country of one billion idiots.
Didi certainly has her heart in the right place - more power to her and may her tribe increase.
the thought is good the deed is worthy. what is the gaurentee that others do not take the place of vacating people nd initiate another round of builing houses.who owns the house what re3ason they will not rent or sell the house they got free . what happens when the so called owner dies which of his heirs get title to the land(or house. what kind of gaurentee that the whole housinfg area ia kept hygenically cleanthe poor need to be helped . but instead of govt it can be done by philontrapy by indias rich compamnies like a sort of competion each company tring to help build low cost homes a kind of cometion among them . they can put aside half or one percent of the compan y profit aside for building houses for poor home less and slum dwellers. they can goin and pool their resorces and manage whole thing froming construction from beginnig to end as service to nation. laws should be enacte d as to who get owenershipafter death of the first owner. hope some super rich company takes initiativ
Kudos to the Railways minister for initiating the Sukhi Griha project.I would request the Honourable minister that after Bengal it be the turn of Assam - Guwahati in particular where squatters be relocated from the periphery of railway tracks. These people carry on thier business of living dangerously close to the tracks. The good work being carried out by the Railways exhibits the calibre of the officers which is of a very high order.