Several illegal structures bulldozed from govt land by Mirik civic body

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 19 June 2024, Darjeeling: The Mirik Municipality conducted a demolition drive on Wednesday. Makeshift shops, eateries and other such wooden and tin structures were demolished using bulldozers thereby evicting them from government land. “We have received a number of complaints stating that illegal non-concrete structures have come up on government land. These structures along with being illegal were a big hindrance to the beautification process. They were there in all prominent places,” stated LB Rai, chairman of the Mirik Municipality. He stated that notices were served to them, giving them time to appear with all relevant documents within seven days or remove the structures by themselves. “When none of them turned up, the municipality removed the structures on Wednesday,” stated Rai.

Around 6 to 7 such structures were removed from in front of the municipality, taxi stands in the lake area and the park premises. “The drive will continue. Law is the same for all. We will now issue notices to concrete building, hotels that have come up on government land. We will give them a week to appear with all relevant documents, including passed plans. If they fail to, we will ask them to dismantle the structures by themselves. If they do not, the municipality will,” stated Rai. He stated that the municipality has approached the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration for demarcations and classification of land. “We need to demarcate government land, land belonging to the Tourism department and private land,” stated Rai.

This move of the Mirik Municipality has been lauded by the public. Hawkers and shops set up on all thoroughfares have inconvenienced the general public in most of the Hill towns. Incidentally, Darjeeling town faces this problem too. Residents of Darjeeling, through social media posts have raised the questions that if Mirik can do it, why such steps have not been taken by the Darjeeling Municipality too. The perennial problem of encroachment by hawkers, especially in the iconic Darjeeling Mall is a major eyesore. The Mirik Municipality is run by a Trinamool Congress board. Likewise, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, also run by a TMC board, has carried out prolonged eviction drives in most of the wards of Siliguri, even demolishing concrete illegal structures.

Courtesy & source: Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/several-illegal-structures-bulldozed-from-govt-land-by-mirik-civic-body-568618