Jalpaiguri: Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad authorities have initiated the process of identifying encroached lands with a dual purpose — safeguarding the land and constructing shops to lease to business owners. Officials are driven by the idea of boosting income of the Zilla Parishad through this endeavour.
Seema Chowdhury, Sahakari Sabhadhipati of Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad, stated: “A meeting was held with the Mainaguri Traders Association, and a similar meeting is scheduled with the Dhupguri Traders Association next Wednesday. The Zilla Parishad does not aim to displace those conducting business on government land but to augment revenue by erecting shops in those areas and leasing them to existing shopkeepers and unemployed youth. Instances of unauthorised construction on government land have been observed. Many traders operating in Zilla Parishad markets have failed to renew their trade licenses. To enhance revenue, a comprehensive list of such traders is being compiled. Business associations have been requested to provide a list of traders.”
Zilla Parishad sources indicate that encroachments have been reported in various locations, including Odlabari, Dumdim, Malbazar, Mainaguri, and Dhupguri, despite the Zilla Parishad owning lands in several places, including market areas in different blocks. To assess the extent of encroachment, Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Krishna Roy Barman, Sahakari Sabhadhipati Seema Chowdhury, Additional District Magistrate (Zilla Parishad) Tejasvi Rana, and other officials recently visited Odlabari, Dumdim,
and Malbazar.
It was discovered that approximately 3 acres of land had been encroached upon in the Dumdim area alone. Officials noted that land on both sides of the Gram Panchayat office in Dumdim, extending to the market, had been encroached. A meeting between the ZP and business associations is scheduled to address these issues. These lands will be recovered, shops erected and
then leased out.