GTA to construct bldg to house displaced hawkers of Mall area

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 20 Apr 2023 | Darjeeling: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will construct a building to accommodate the displaced hawkers who had been removed from the Mall area recently. 

The detailed project report (DPR) for the building has been prepared by the GTA. Till the time of completion of the building, the hawkers have been temporarily accommodated in the Gorkha Ranga Mancha premises. 

During the G-20 Summit event in Darjeeling on April 3, the hawkers were displaced from the Mall. On Wednesday a tripartite meeting was held between the Darjeeling Municipality, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the hawkers representatives. 

Anit Thapa, Chief Executive, GTA was present in the meeting. He stated: “We are trying for a permanent settlement for the hawkers. The GTA has made a DPR for a building below the Mall and work will commence soon. Once the building is complete, the hawkers will be settled there permanently. Till then the hawkers will have temporary stalls at the Gorkha Ranga Mancha,” stated Anit Thapa. 

The Gorkha Ranga Mancha is located at the Darjeeling Mall. A team from the Darjeeling Municipality along with the hawkers visited the Ranga Mancha on Thursday. “Temporary stalls (pandals) will be constructed to accommodate the hawkers for the time being. The hawkers claim that there are 106 of them. We have asked them to submit their Voter ID cards for proper identification and allocation. We will ensure that no two members from the same family are allotted shops along with checking rightful ownership,” stated Dipen Thakuri, Chairman, Darjeeling Municipality. 

The Chairman also added that the gates of the Ranga Mancha will be open for all to visit, throughout the day till a specific time at night to help the market run. The building would take around a year to be completed, till then the hawkers would be allowed to use the allotted space in the Bhawan stated Thakuri. 

The hawkers expressed gratitude. “We want a permanent solution so that the problem is resolved once and for all. Till then we are satisfied with the temporary arrangements in the Ranga Mancha Bhawan,” stated Urmila Tamang, president, New Mahakal Market Association. The roadside stalls in the Mall area have been a long standing issue, often taking on the shape of political battles. 

On January 23, 2014, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had laid a foundation stone for a two storied Hawkers Market on CR Das Road below Mall to rehabilitate 90 Hawkers after removing them from Mall. 

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha led by Gurung, then at loggerheads, had objected to this. With the GJM run Darjeeling Municipality as a front, the work was stopped with the civic body not passing the plan and also filing a writ at the Calcutta High Court against it. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/gta-to-construct-bldg-to-house-displaced-hawkers-of-mall-area-515865?infinitescroll=1