Statesman News Service MALDA, 1 MARCH: The Malda district administration launched a drive to clear the National Highway-34 of encroachers on Saturday but had to stall the exercise due to lack of coordination among different departments involved in it. The district magistrate has convened a meeting on the subject tomorrow.
“The police and civil administration officials evicted a few encroachers on Saturday and asked them to clear the footpaths and roads within three days. I have convened a meeting on the issue tomorrow and the eviction process would continue”, said the Malda DM Mr Sridhar Ghosh.
It is learnt that civil administration officials arrived late at Rathbari for eviction exercise on Saturday although the police were on the spot. Though the National Highways Authority of India had urged the district administration to clear the encroachers from footpaths and part of its roads, no NHAI official was present during the drive. When police and civil administration officials asked the vendors to clear the footpaths and road at Rathbari, the encroachers claimed the English Bazaar municipal authority had issued them tokens to run their trade from the area. They also claimed they were paying tax to the civic body for running their trade.
Summoned by the district administration officials, he EBM Chairman Mr Narendranath Tiwari arrived on the spot late. Frustrated with the complications and delay, the police and administrative officials ultimately decided to stop the eviction drive on Saturday and undertake it in future.
“The police would assist and guard the administrative officials to avoid any untoward incident during the eviction drive. The absence of NHAI or PWD officials was a distinct disadvantage”, said the Malda SP, Mr Bhuban Mandal.
According to the SP, there was no bulldozer or vehicles to tow vans to pull away illegally parked vehicles on NH 34.
“Worse still, the EBM the EBM had not provided the workers to clear garbage during the eviction drive”, the SP added.
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