Day 2: Anti-encroachment drives continue across city

Kolkata: Following the eviction of hawkers who were encroaching footpaths in Salt Lake Sector V, a similar drive was initiated in New Town on Wednesday. Apart from New Town, eviction processes continued in several parts of Kolkata on Wednesday

On Wednesday afternoon, officials and employees of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) along with a large contingent of police forces went to the Coal Bhavan area in New Town Action Area I where about 11 people were running their businesses by encroaching footpaths and a portion of the road. It is alleged that despite being rehabilitated earlier at the NKDA market beside the Deputy Commissioner (DC), New Town office, these hawkers did not move.

The hawkers initially were rigid that they would not let their shops be pulled down. Later, due to intervention of the police, they had to back off. According to NKDA sources, there were about 59 shop owners who were encroaching the footpath and portion of road beside Coal Bhavan.

Several months back, NKDA provided shops to them at the NKDA market under a rehabilitation scheme. It is alleged apart from these 11 shop owners, all other shops were shifted to the NKDA market.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NKDA, Prashanta Kumar Barai said: “We prefer the word rehabilitation instead of eviction. All the roads and footpaths which have been encroached by a section of people for businesses will be cleared. We are going to rehabilitate the old shop owners. However, the new ones who are doing business by

encroaching on government properties recently, will not be allowed to continue.”

Apart from New Town, eviction processes continued in several parts of Kolkata on Wednesday. Several shops were pulled down using bulldozers and the debris was removed instantly using Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) dumpers in Behala, around the Alipore Zoo, Sealdah, in front of NRS Hospital, and a few other places in the presence of local police.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed her displeasure over the issue of hawkers illegally occupying footpaths in Gariahat, Hatibagan and some other urban areas like Bidhannagar during an administrative meeting with the civic bodies of the state.