Cooch Behar: Local businessmen staged a protest in front of the district transport building in the Mahishbathan area of Cooch Behar on Monday. They demanded that they be paid full compensation before they are evicted from their makeshift shops.
Around 70 to 80 shopkeepers have been conducting business on the footpath along National Highway No. 34 in the Mahishbathan area under the Khagrabari Gram Panchayat of Cooch Behar Block-2. The district transport building was constructed here about a year ago. However, last Saturday, a team led by Cooch Behar Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer Kunal Banerjee suddenly arrived to evict the traders from the footpath, prompting traders to protest. Not all the shops were evicted that day. Shopkeepers were instructed to relocate within the next few days. On Monday, the shopkeepers resumed their protest, staging a symbolic demonstration in front of the gate of the District Transport Building.
Shopkeeper Tapas Dhar stated: “If our shops are removed in this manner, we will be forced to take to the streets in the coming days. We have been operating our businesses here for over 25 to 30 years, supporting our families.
Therefore, we demand full compensation before eviction, else we will intensify our protests.