Patna: The ongoing removal of encroachments from the R- Block-Digha railway track will continue till Monday.

Patna district magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi said on Wednesday that the administration is making efforts to provide alternatives to the people who are being removed.

There are at least 50 cowsheds on the roughly 7km line, and the DM has written to the Bihar Veterinary College to allow the people to keep the cattle on the college premises.

Out of an area of 71.82 acres around 8 acres are encroached upon.

On Wednesday, the district administration officials continued their work of removing the encroachments from the track in the Shivpuri and Hartali Mor area.

Around 80 labourers and 400 police personnel - including 100 women constables - were deployed during the drive. Bihar State Road Development Corporation Ltd (BSRDC), a wing of the road construction department, is the executing agency which will construct a four-lane road on the stretch.

"We have fixed the target to remove the encroachment by September 17 and the drive would continue for the next five days," DM Ravi said.

"There are around 500 families living on both sides of the track and most of them are working people. There are around 50 cowsheds as well; all the cattle would be shifted to the veterinary college campus and I have written letter to the college administration to allow the cattle in."

The college ground can accommodate 1,000 heads of cattle. Asked about rehabilitating people whose houses have been demolished, Ravi said: "There is no policy or scheme of the government to rehabilitate (squatters in) urban areas as such but still we are trying to provide them some alterative on humane grounds."

On Thursday, the administration will remove encroachments between Hartali Mor and Punaichak.

Already announcements have been made through public address systems and no more extra time would be given to the squatters.

The proposed four-lane road between R Block and Digha will pass through Hartali Mor, Punaichak, Shivpuri, Mahesh Nagar, New Patliputra Colony, Rajiv Nagar and Patliputra industrial area.

The road will be free of traffic signals with two flyovers and three underpasses for smooth traffic.

Once the encroachments are removed, the railways will start the work of removing the track. The road construction has department has handed over Rs 47 lakh to the railways to remove the track.