The traders have a sigh of relief in the protected loco township of Chittaranjan after the management decided to stall the demolition drive with bulldozers in the biggest market area Amladahi on illegal encroachments till the festive season is over.

BJP MLAs of Asansol South Assembly segment, Agnimitra Paul and Kulti, Dr Ajoy Poddar have urged the general manager of Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), Hitendra Malhotra to stop the eviction drive on illegal encroachments at Amladahi Bazar in the protected railway township of Chittaranjan.

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CLW had announced to start an eviction drive from Thursday morning and remove encroachments with heavy earth moving machinery. Accordingly, the bulldozers were taken to the market area, the biggest market zone in Chittaranjan loco township creating huge panic.

“I had requested the GM of CLW, Hitendra Malhotra over phone to wait till the Chhath Pujas are over on humanitarian grounds so that the shop owners can themselves shift elsewhere. The long festive season is ahead and they also have families. I am personally not against removal of encroachments, but these poor people also need to be rehabilitated. Today I have been informed that no strong action will be taken by the CLW authority till this festive season is over,” said Agnimitra Paul.

The mayor of Asansol Municipal Corporation and local MLA of Barabani, Bidhan Upadhyay has also held a meeting with the GM of CLW on this issue. He claimed that his party is always against forceful eviction drives. The eviction drive is becoming an issue politically here.