The railway ministry has dashed the state government?s hopes of an early resolution to the impasse over eviction of settlers along Rabindra Sarobar.

The government had hoped that the ministry, under a ?friendly? Laloo Prasad Yadav, would provide land, and even funds, for the rehabilitation of around 20,000 people who have encroached on railway property along the Lakes.

The railway board, however, has made it clear that the ministry will not be a party to any relocation proposal.

?With the approval of railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, it has been decided that? (it is not) the railways? policy (to) spare land or funds for the resettlement of encroachers,? railway board adviser (land and amenities) R.P. Gupta has written to the Eastern Railway general manager.

The railways will state its stand in the affidavit it is to file in the high court on Friday.

The board has made it clear that it expects the state government to assume the responsibility for the rehabilitation. ?Housing is a state subject. Therefore, the state government has to provide land and funds for the resettlement and rehabilitation of the encroachers, who are going to be evicted as per the high court order,? the letter adds.

The board?s decision follows a high court order, on July 2, directing the railways to state its policy within a fortnight on the proposed resettlement. The division bench of Chief Justice V.S. Sirpurkar and Justice A.K. Ganguly passed the order after realising that the railway board had been dragging its feet on the issue.

After going through a letter from the railway minister, the court had the impression that Yadav was in favour of rehabilitating the settlers. But counsel for the railway board Uttam Majumdar clarified on Thursday that his client had no such inclination.

Majumdar said: ?We will put everything in the affidavit? Trinamul MLA Sougata Roy, leading an organisation of settlers, had given an undertaking in court in January 2002 that the squatters would leave on their own within April 4, 2002. Why is the question of rehabilitation coming up now??