Darjeeling: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration plans to build a hawkers’ market at Chowrasta

 We will hold a detailed discussion with the public and representatives of the morning health club before we finalise the plan, says Anit Thapa

Chowrasta in Darjeeling.File photo

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 13.05.23 :  The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) plans to build a hawkers’ market at Chowrasta here, a proposal which had to be shelved in 2014 because of local residents’ concerns even after chief minister Mamata Banerjee had laid the foundation stone.

GTA chief executive Anit Thapa on Friday said: “We are preparing a detailed project report for a hawkers’ market at Chowrasta. We will hold a detailed discussion with the public and representatives of the morning health club before we finalise the plan.”

On Friday, 106 hawkers, who had been evicted from Mall Road last month, were given “temporary” space on the premises of Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan, which doubles as a town hall and houses the GTA Sabha and other departments.

“This is a temporary arrangement for them,” said Thapa.

The 106 hawkers were asked to vacate the Mall Road from April 1 to 3 in view of the G20 meeting which was being held in Darjeeling.

With the common sentiment in favour of hawkers’ removal from Mall Road, Thapa decided not to allow the hawkers to put up stalls there again.

“We need to save Chowrasta (from hawker encroachment) and we also need to save their livelihood. We are working in this direction,” said Thapa.

The hawkers had been settled along Mall Road after some had been removed from Nehru Road — the famous stretch leading to Chowrasta that houses popular eateries like Glenary’s and Keventers — in 2012 when Bimal Gurung was in control of the GTA.

The removal of hawkers facilitated the construction of shopping centres along that stretch.

Also, the number of hawkers resettled along Mall Road increased dramatically and these days, some other hawkers are relocating themselves along Nehru Road.

On Friday, the hawkers “promised” that the number would not increase beyond 106 henceforth.

Following the 2012 eviction, Mamata wanted to set up a permanent hawkers’ market at Chowrasta and even laid the foundation stone on January 23, 2014.

The move was opposed by the public and environmentalists at large who even moved the court.

Told about the 2014 objection, Thapa said: “The Opposition then was for a highrise. We will ensure that themarket will not come up tothe level of Chowrasta (and confined to the slopes). No trees will be uprooted, too,” said Thapa.

The public in Darjeeling has complaints that the moment a section of hawkers is settled, a new set mushrooms in the same area sooner or later.

“I have heard of this complaint. We will have to work on these issues slowly,” said Thapa, adding that he was planning to move the hawkers who put up stalls along Nehru Road in the evening to an open space before the Darjeeling municipality office.

Courtesy & source - The Telegraph