Malda: English Bazar aims to remove encroachments for traffic jam-free NH

Malda: The Malda district administration and English Bazar Municipality are going to take the initiative to clear encroachments on the National Highway (NH) up to Rathbari More from Rabindra Bhavan More, shortly.

Unauthorised parking has sprung up across this portion of the National Highway, and truck and taxi stands have come up everywhere coupled with makeshift roadside stalls. All this has resulted in increased traffic jams in English Bazar. As a solution, a new stand will be constructed for taxis along with private car parking facilities made available separately. CM Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for the development of this area at a cost of Rs 15 crore 26 lakh. Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, chairman of EBM, reviewed the current situation of the National Highway with PWD officials. A large part of a market of Government Colony 2 has to be removed for National Highway. Hundreds of traders of this market now fear that the shops in at least two lanes of the market will be removed in the process. However, Nitin Singhania, district magistrate, said: “No one will be evicted. We will discuss with the local shop owners to ensure that no one suffers in the process.” Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury said: “Reforms will be done while keeping the market intact. We discussed with the PWD officials that the market will be fenced with a guard wall. There will be no difficulty for the shopkeepers.”

The National Highway from Bandhapukur has been cleared and a bypass road has been constructed to keep English Bazar free from traffic jams. Two lanes of the NH goes through the EBM area but these areas have been encroached in places obstructing the flow of traffic.