Calcutta, Jan. 12: The Mamata Banerjee government has rebuilt a fire-ravaged slum on EM Bypass, prioritising vote bank politics months before the civic elections over an opportunity to free a stretch of illegal settlers.

Around 60 shanties that had sprung up on a road divider in front of Mani Square mall were gutted on December 4.

The elevated East-West Metro tracks run over the slum area and a flight of stairs to the platform ascend from amid the shanties.

Following the December 4 fire, minister and Trinamul MLA Sadhan Pande had publicly criticised the mushrooming of slums.

'Slums cannot and should not be allowed on the bypass. It is the most important road in the city. There should be a policy on that,' Pande had said.

The slum area is in Pande's constituency, Manicktala.

Today, however, the minister spoke of 'political compulsions'.

'I know it's difficult to move illegal settlers, mostly because of political compulsions. But I promise that I will shift them to some other place soon. I have already requested urban development minister Firhad Hakim for some land to build houses for these people,' Pande said.

When the slums were being rebuilt after the fire, Pande had said: 'I cannot abandon the 60 families in this chilly weather. As an elected representative, it is my responsibility to take care of them.'

Sources in Trinamul said the rebuilt slum would prove to be another 'Frankenstein' created by the Trinamul government.

'The staircase to one of the platforms starts from between the shanties. Problems will surface when the Metro becomes operational on the east-west route,' a Trinamul MLA said.

The East-West Metro project has been in a limbo because illegal settlers in Duttabad, on the fringes of Salt Lake, have refused to vacate a plot required to set up infrastructure.

The slum stretch near Mani Square is barely a kilometre from Duttabad, where work for the Metro project has been stalled for over two years.

A local Trinamul leader said they were forced to rehabilitate the slum dwellers because the BJP had been pursuing the issue aggressively.

Calcutta faces civic elections this year, at a time the BJP is trying hard to claim the principal Opposition's place.

'The morning after the fire, BJP workers set up a relief camp and started distributing food. Several state-level BJP leaders visited the spot. We had no option but to promise the slum dwellers that we will rebuild their houses,' said the Trinamul leader who supervised the rebuilding of the slum.

A day after the fire, Trinamul and the BJP arranged for meals to be cooked near the gutted slum area, while the Congress distributed blankets. CPM leaders were seen consoling the dwellers.

Sixty shanties of over 50sqft each have been built in neat rows for the illegal settlers. They are made of bamboo and black tarpaulin sheets. Trinamul flags hang outside several of them.

The removal of illegal settlers is a proverbial hot potato for all parties that use them as foot soldiers during elections and other political activities.

The stretch of the EM Bypass between Ultadanga and Beleghata is controlled by four Trinamul MLAs who are fiercely protective of their vote bank in these slums. Sources in Trinamul said that though Pande publicly criticised the mushrooming of slums, even he could not do without them.

'Dada has no option. If he does not rehabilitate these people, one of the rival MLAs from his own party would help them out and they would immediately switched allegiance. Of course, the BJP is there. They are aggressively trying to wean our voters away,' said a Trinamul leader in Ward 31 where the slum is located.

The stretch belonged to KMDA, which leased it out to Metro Rail, Pande said.

The slum that was gutted on December 4 had grown over the past three years along the pavement in front of the mall. Around 60 families had lost shelter after the blaze.

After the fire, residents of the slum were shifted to a temporary relief camp on a service road leading to Mani Square.

For over a month, all vehicles coming from the Bengal Chemicals side had to get on the EM Bypass and drive south before taking a U-turn to reach the mall.

Last week, when the rebuilding of the slum was completed, the residents were moved back to their homes and the carriageway was opened to vehicles.

Investigation by firemen had revealed that the blaze started in one of the godowns let out where inflammable articles were stored.