The high court on Friday lambasted railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav for making ?confusing statements? on relocating squatters from railway land along Rabindra Sarobar.

?The railway minister had said at a public meeting, as well as before a parliamentary standing committee, that no settler would be evicted till alternative land was provided to him. But now, the railway board, with the minister?s approval, is saying that no land or funds will be allotted for the squatters,? the division bench of Chief Justice V.S. Sirpurkar and Justice A.K. Ganguly said.

?The minister?s statements must have been based on his department?s policy. From his words, the court had the impression that the railways would provide land and we had passed several orders based on that assumption,? the bench added.

The court?s observation followed an affidavit submitted by the railways and the railway board, stating their stand on the relocation of the squatters.

The affidavit argued that since housing was a state subject, the state government would have to provide land for the squatters? relocation.

?We are unhappy with the affidavit. We are giving the railways a last chance. It will have to furnish a fresh affidavit by next Thursday? The squatters should be rehabilitated by the railways,? the bench ruled. ?Eviction is a burning issue? The railways will have to handle the matter seriously and solve the problem expeditiously.?

Appearing for the state, advocate-general Balai Ray reiterated that the government would bear all other cost of relocation if the railways agreed to provide land. He recalled that the railway minister had said at a rally in Calcutta, and also at a meeting of a parliamentary standing committee, that the settlers would not be evicted till an alternative plot was made available for them.

The bench, appreciating the state government?s stand, asked the advocate-general to submit an affidavit on the minister?s statement before the House panel.

Kalyan Banerjee, representing the squatters, told the court that his clients had already raised Rs 4.5 crore, which would be spent on relocation, provided land was made available for them. More funds could be mobilised, Banerjee stressed.

Petitioner Subhas Dutta said the railways should not have any problem in allotting land, as it owned several plots in and around the city.