Jewellers irked over compensation amount

Kolkata: Demanding compensation for the hassle caused by tunnel boring work for the East-West Metro project, owners and workers of jewellery manufacturing units staged a demonstration at Bowbazar area on Tuesday.

Around 70 people staged a protest at 11 am at control room at Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration.

They stopped the engineers carrying out the restoration and demolition in Bowbazar area. Earlier, the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRCL), the implementing agency of East West metro project, had proposed an adhoc amount of Rs 50,000 to the protestors.

"We refused to take the compensation amount being offered by the KMRCL on September 20. We staged demonstration because they (KMRCL officials) did not talk to us in connection with the compensation," said Bharat Soni, who owns a jewellery shop at Syakra Para Lane. He said KMRCL officials had assured they will pay compensation according to the area of jewellery manufacturing units.

"In the evening, KMRCL officials conducted a meeting with us. They assured that Rs 1 lakh will be given to jewellery manufacturing unit having less than or 100 sqft area and Rs 5 lakh will given be for jewellery manufacturing unit having area of more than 100 sqft," Soni said.

Jewellers and workers of jewellery manufacturing units said they might launch a bigger protest if KMRCL doesn't provide them appropriate compensations.

A total of approximately 74 buildings had suffered damages or developed cracks in Bowbazar due to East-West metro construction work.