While encroachment of public spaces, especially pavements in busy city centres, have been a touchy subject in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the issue head on, after inaugurating a newly constructed bridge in north Kolkata.
Banerjee, on Thursday, flagged the issue before senior politicians of her party All India Trinamool Congress and said she had consistently observed how even as newer stalls get added in a locality, local politicians and administration fail to react to that.
“I am constantly observing. Suppose there are ten shops in a locality. All of a sudden, some outsider comes in and adds another ten shops. The administration, many a time, doesn’t take steps despite having the knowledge,” Banerjee stated. “Local leaders know, but don’t take steps. We all walk but do nothing.”
The chief minister cautioned that if these numbers kept rising, it would soon become difficult to walk on the pavement. “If the entire footpath is encroached, how will I (we) walk? How will things work, if my entire place is encroached,” she asked.
The chief minister Banerjee asserted that while she was in favour of hawkers (vendors), and didn’t want to allow their eviction, she wanted it to be moderated. She said that hawkers must be issued cards so that there is stability and balance. “This has to be always monitored. Many days have passed. Enough is enough. Now you have to work for it,” she said.
While the state government has been attempting to build infrastructure for everyone, encroachment remains an unsolved problem. In Kolkata, localities considered commercially important have pavements as well as streets, densely encroached. Despite efforts at putting regulations in place, there seems to be no end to this civic problem.
During the Left’s tenure, ‘Operation Sunshine’ was undertaken to remove encroachments. This action, however, didn’t resolve the issue. Also, for thousands of people engaged in the street-side shops it’s an issue of livelihood.