The residential units — built under a scheme called ‘Sukhi Griho’ will be built under the Centre’s Valmiki Awas Yojna with the help of the Union Urban Development Ministry.

While making the announcement at a railway function at Saldah station, she said the pilot project started in Bengal will later be replicated all over the country.

The plan did not sit well on the cornered state government wallowing under the series of poll debacles.

“Mamata Banerjee’s intentions are not very clear to us,” said Ashok Bhattacharya, the state Minister for urban development. “If the Railway ministry indeed builds dwelling units we have no problem. But we suspect that after building the units, she will be left with lots of vacant land and she will use it for commercial purpose. But we will never allow railway land to be used for commercial purpose.”

After a fire broke out at Matangini Colony at Siliguri — which was on railway land — on October 25, Bhattacharya had written to Banerjee. “I asked that either the Railways give secure land tenures to settlers by giving them pattas or they hand over the land to us so that we can build houses for them under the Valmiki Awas Yojna. But she did not respond,” Bhattacharya said.

He also said it was the state government which was building dwelling units for the residents of Govindapur railway colony who were evicted by the railways about five years ago.