State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Agnimitra Paul announced that show-cause notices will be issued to three officials of Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC), who initiated a demolition drive against illegal encroachments in Raha Lane yesterday.
Just three days earlier, the UDMA department dissolved the elected board of AMC and appointed IAS officer and ADDA CEO Aditi Choudhury as administrator until fresh elections are held. Two days ago, the minister herself attended AMC’s ‘Mukomukhi’ phone-in programme, where she received 37 grievance calls, including complaints about footpath encroachments.
“Our Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has allowed time until Durga Puja to remove illegal encroachments on humanitarian grounds, and all demolition drives were stalled across the state. In bottleneck areas, notices of 15 days were issued to ensure pedestrian safety. We had no knowledge of yesterday’s demolition drive, and three civic officials have been held responsible,” Ms Paul said.
Despite public announcements on Thursday night urging encroachers to vacate within 15 days, bulldozers moved in yesterday morning, sparking violent clashes and injuries during scuffles with police. Congress leader Prasenjit Puitundi and local CPI-M leaders rushed to the site amid heavy rain, staging protests and blocking GT Road. Intervention by Asansol North MLA Krishnendu Mukherjee halted the demolition.
Mr Mukherjee, who inspected the area today, alleged that some officials were still acting under TMC influence despite the change of government. He vowed to lodge FIRs against them once identified. “The demolition should not have occurred after giving 15 days’ notice. Even I, as the local MLA, was kept in the dark. I don’t support illegal encroachments, but proper time must be given for removal,” he said.
Ms Paul assured that genuine hawkers would be allotted space through a legal tendering process. Yesterday, she also attended the inauguration of a children’s play zone at Asansol District Hospital alongside the local MLA.