Can Chowrasta be used for commercial activities? Civic body and social bodies differ

EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 7, 2024 : Several organizations of Darjeeling have demanded that the local civic body does not allow commercial activities that require construction of structures, at Chowrasta, the only open square of the town.

On April 30, non government organizations, political parties and citizens went up in arms against the decision of the Darjeeling municipality to construct bamboo structures for stalls at Chowrasta.

Courtesy: Prolad Roka- Facebook

The municipality had planned to organize a Darjeeling Tourist Shopping Festival that would have lasted for more than ten days. The civic body had ostensibly said the objective for the shopping festival was to generate revenues by attracting tourists.

However, amidst protest by the social organizations and NGOs, the municipality was forced to stop construction work and postpone its proposed event at the popular promenade. As a result a war of words has started between the civic body and the protestors.

According to sources, the municipality on Monday did not grant permission to the Khambu Rai community to organize an event at Chowrasta. The source said the civic body has apparently asked the ethnic community to seek permission from social organizations and NGOs. On Tuesday, eight social organizations peeved by the civic body's remarks came together on a common platform and condemned the attitude of the municipality.

"The municipality is an elected body and has the power to implement decisions. We as citizens too have voted for the municipality members.

Therefore it is responsibility and duty of the civic body to hear the public and decide, and not us. This is a callous attitude of the civic authorities," said Dipika Gurung, member of one of the social organizations.

In defence, the municipality chairman Dipen Thakuri had pointed that events by the police department, social and cultural organizations have been organized at Chowrasta, earlier and that the current protestors had failed to speak against it.

Gurung however said such events were social in nature and did not have commercial aspects. "We are not against cultural and social cause events at Chowrasta. We only want that temporary structures are not constructed by digging holes and congesting the square for commercial purpose," she said. Gurung said social organizations have on occasions also lauded the good work of the municipality.

"When the municipality laid tiles in and around the market area at Chowk Bazar in the heart of the town, we praised the civic body. Likewise, when the Mall Road and Chowrasta area was cleared of hawkers and stalls, we took to social media platforms to give a shout out to the municipality. So it is not, that we only point fingers of negativity," she said. Authorities of the Darjeeling municipality could not be reached for their comments on the allegations.