Eviction drive hits roadblock

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 10: The Malda district administration has been faced difficulties to evict encroachers from the land earmarked for the University of Gour Banga in English Bazaar town today and decided to keep the matter on hold for the time being.

The district magistrate had held an all-party meeting last week apprehending trouble on this count and succeeded in having a resolution adopted to the effect that more than 40 families would vacate the land by Sunday.

It was also decided that after Sunday, if they refused to vacate the land following the notice issued by the district administration, the police would take action to evict the encroachers in accordance with the order of the district magistrate. But, when the police went to the spot this morning the encroachers backed by the local political leaders belonging to the Congress and Trinamul Congress resisted the attempts and police finally returned.

A disappointed district magistrate Mr Sridhar K. Ghosh said that the dubious game being played on the matter was distressing. “In the all- party meeting held last week the political leaders have agreed to cooperate with the district administration as far as the eviction is concerned. But now, unfortunately they have started inciting the encroachers to hold on the encroached land,” he said.

“Nearly 43 families have been dwelling upon this land illegally and they would have to vacate it at the earliest earmarked for the University,” the district magistrate said. The chief minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the upcoming university on 16 November.

In an all-political party meeting, the district magistrate Mr Sridhar K Ghosh requested leaders to find out another place for shifting them when the Congress, Trinamul Congress and RSP leaders had demanded rehabilitation of those families before eviction drive.

The encroachers, on the other hand, alleged today that the CPI-M workers had threatened them last night to vacate the land immediately.