Settlers along the railway tracks between Ballygunge and Tollygunge have planned to march to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?s Palm Avenue residence on Tuesday to protest Eastern Railway?s drive to evict them by March 2.

?None of the 4,000 settlers will move without being offered an alternative accommodation. The programme is part of our sustained movement against the eviction drive,? Trinamul Congress MLA from Dhakuria Saugata Roy said.

Any attempt by the administration to stall the march, he asserted, would be opposed.

?We have chosen the chief minister?s residence for demonstration to make him aware of the uncertainty looming over the settlers. They have nowhere to go. Over 1,000 schoolchildren will have to discontinue their studies,? he added.

Roy also said party leader Mamata Banerjee, who is campaigning in Jharkhand, had been briefed about the programme. ?Mamata will address the settlers at a rally immediately after she returns,? he announced.

Local councillor Ratan De said the schoolchildren and their parents would lead the march.

?We call upon the chief minister to ensure that our children are not forced to discontinue their studies,? said Baburam Pramanik, secretary of Settlers? Sangram Committee.

Police made a last-ditch effort on Monday to dissuade the settlers from marching to the chief minister?s residence.

?We shall not allow the procession to proceed beyond Ballygunge Phari. Those who will not abide by the restrictions will be arrested,? said Dinesh Dutta Burman, officer-in-charge of Lake police station.

Senior officers from Lalbazar held a meeting during the day to discuss deployment of forces on the proposed route of the march.

The Eastern Railway has served notices on around 4,000 settlers along the 3-km railway tracks asking them to vacate the shanties by February 28.

The notice stated that those who move within the stipulated period would be awarded certificates by the railway authorities.

?The squatters have been asked to collect a certificate of surrender from the Ballygunge railway station office from Tuesday,? officials said.

According to them, those possessing the certificates will get priority when the state government or the Centre decides to provide them alternative accommodation under the Valmiki Ambedkar Abasan Yojana.