While the land at Adajan Patia now belongs to the collectorate, the SMC had, way back in 1989, used the hostels to accommodate flood-affected people. The issue that has set the SMC and the collectorate on a collision course is who should remove the slum-dwellers. While the collectorate says the SMC should do the needful as it asked for the land, SMC officials say it is practically impossible to move them as the quarters and the hostels have almost merged with the Bapunagar slums.

Earlier this week, District Collector R M Shah called a meeting, which was attended by representatives from the Sorabjee J J Training School, the SMC, police and the talati of the area. It was decided at the meeting that ``efforts would be made to restore the 2000 sq mts land to its rightful owner.'' While Shah pointed out that as the SMC had asked for the land it was its duty to return it to its owner, SMC sources as well as officials had expressed its impracticality.

While the debate goes on, sources say in the end another land would be given to the school in the Ramnagar-Adajan area, that currently belongs to the Social Welfare department. So, it would be government land being transferred from the department of Social Welfare to that of education.

While a school official claimed the collector had said that getting the original land was next to impossible and another land would be given, school principal T S Patel was optimistic. ``The matter will now be looked into by a State Empowered Committee and a solution to the issue will be fast,'' he said. The proposed land belongs to the Receiving Centre for Beggars located in the Rander area of the city.

However, the root issue -- of rehabilitating slum-dwellers -- remains unresolved.

Incidentally, the SMC had made several attempts in the past to rehabilitate the slum-dwellers in the Tapi bed, including those of Bapunagar, but have not met with much success. While some of the residents are ready to move, others have made unreasonable demands for alternate residential premises and many others have flatly refused to move from the spot.

The hostels and quarters have not only been reduced to slums, with just the size of the building setting them apart, but have also become a haven for anti-social elements who run gambling and liquor dens.

And with forcible eviction of the slum-dwellers being practically impossible, the authorities here are looking for an easy way out i.e. giving alternative land to the school.

Yes, a solution but a cosmetic one.