Kolkata, Jul 12 (PTI) Several stall owners in the Salt Lake Sector V area, known as an IT hub in West Bengal, were seen dismantling their makeshift structures on footpaths on Sunday, apprehending eviction by the authorities.
The vendors said they feared that bulldozers could be deployed to raze their stalls, most of which were temporary structures made of bamboo, tarpaulin and plastic sheets, after they were asked to remove them a few days ago.
Asit Saha, president of the West Bengal chapter of the Hawkers’ Joint Action Committee, said the assurance was given by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari that no eviction drive would be carried out anywhere in the state till Durga Puja in October.
“The government will not allow permanent structures covering the entire footpath. Stalls have to be confined to one-third of the footpath space,” Saha told PTI.
He said several issues remained unresolved.
“We do not know who would compensate hawkers for the loss of their stall structures and how customers would be able to wait during rain if vendors are not allowed to use plastic covers,” he said.
Saha said there was no meeting with the department concerned this week despite the chief minister’s assurance.
“If stall owners are evicted permanently, we will have to seek the chief minister’s intervention,” he said.
After the BJP came to power in the state, hawker eviction drives were carried out at several locations in and around Kolkata, particularly on the premises of the railways. PTI BSM BDC
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.