DARJEELING, : The Joint Action Committee (JAC),
consisting of local NGOs and social organizations, has filed a complaint with
the Darjeeling Police Station concerning ongoing construction activities on a
disputed piece of land near Chowrasta.
The construction, initiated by
Darjeeling Municipality to relocate Mahakal Market hawkers, is under scrutiny
due to the contested status of the land, currently subject to a pending case in
the Calcutta High Court.
In the complaint, the JAC asserts that
any construction on the disputed land is in violation of its sub judice status
and has urged the police to intervene and immediately halt the construction.
Bharat Prakash Rai, a member of FOSEP
within the JAC, highlighted the historical context of the issue, referencing a
prior attempt by the GTA to construct a market at Chowrasta that resulted in a
legal case in the Calcutta High Court.
“The GTA, many years ago, had planned
to build a hawkers’ market opposite Classic Guest House at Chowrasta for which
some trees had also been felled. We had then complained that no construction
should take place at Chowrasta as that area is the crown of Darjeeling and it
should remain untouched. But then, the department did not listen and hence we
filed a case in Calcutta High Court,” he said.
The JAC, comprising of 18
organizations including Morning Health Club, Upper Bhutia Basti Kalyan Samity,
Sahayak Samity, Jagrati Samity and Sudhar Samity, is seeking legal intervention
to address the sub judice matter.
The origins of the dispute date back
to 2014 when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation
stone for a hawkers’ market at Chowrasta, facing subsequent opposition from the
public.
The current controversy arose after
the removal of over 100 hawkers from Mall Road below Mahakal Mandir in April,
leading to their temporary relocation at the Gorkha Ranga Manch premises, a
move met with dissatisfaction from the hawkers due to a decline in customer
traffic.
