The Bidhan Market Byabshayee Samity called for a 24-hour bandh at Bidhan Market on Wednesday demanding outright ownership of their shops. As part of the bandh, all shops remained closed since morning. The traders also took out a large protest rally from the market, passing through the major thoroughfares.
“This market is one of the important markets in the city. However, the control of this market has been repeatedly delegated to different departments of the state. As a result, we are concerned about our future. We want complete ownership of our shops. If our demand is not met, we will organise a larger protest in the future,” said Bapi Saha, Secretary of the Bidhan Market Traders Association.
Traders who have been conducting business in Siliguri’s Bidhan Market complained that at the time of construction of the market, the then chief minister, Bidhan Chandra Roy, had given the traders space here. The responsibility of the market was thereafter transferred to the Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation department. This department gave pattas to a few businessmen at the time.
Since long, the traders have been demanding ownership. They staged a three-day sit-in protest with the same demand in May. Thereafter, they even staged rallies, protests on different occasions.
As the maintenance of the market currently lies with the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA), the traders have raised their demand to the SJDA chairman Sourav Chakraborty, who said: “I will hold a meeting with the traders and will forward their demand to the Chief Minister.”