One room houses for those living beside railway tracks : Mamata
A project to build a one-room houses for families living along railway lines in different zones in the country has been cleared, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced today.
"I have just cleared a project to build one-room houses for those living alongside railway tracks and railway land will be used for commercial projects," Banerjee told a programme here.
"The people living beside railway lines in shanties face problems and their children are often in danger of accident while crossing tracks," she said.The pilot project would be called 'Sukhi Griha Kon' (Happy Home) for which the Railways would provide land.It would be implemented in collaboration with local bodies in different states under joint venture.
She said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation was planning to build 12000 flats for the poor for which railways would give land.
"KMC has funds for constructing the flats and railways will provide the land," she said.
Banerjee said that as part of a safety-related scheme, jobs would be offered to children of railway employees who opted for voluntary retirement after 20 years of service.
"I have just cleared a scheme for eight categories engaged in safety-related work in railway like gangman and gateman. If necessary, it will be extended to other categories later."
She said that to meet the shortage of coolies, she had also cleared a project called 'Rail Sevaks' which could provide employment to an estimated 10,000 people.Railways would arrange trolleys for those engaged as rail sevaks and the job could be on a no-work-no-pay basis, she said.
