The railway authorities in Kolkata recently carried out a significant eviction operation at the Park Circus station area, clearing illegal shops from Indian Railways-owned land. Notifications were issued earlier to the shop owners and vendors instructing them to vacate the premises, but due to noncompliance, a bulldozer was used to demolish the shops. Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF), and Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed for this operation.
Following a change in government, the Railways have been actively removing encroachments in station areas. Similar eviction drives have taken place at various stations including Howrah, Sealdah, Dum Dum, Jadavpur, and Habra. The recent operation at Park Circus station involved the deployment of security forces to prevent any unrest. Despite warnings and announcements, the traders did not comply, leading to the demolition of the illegal shops.
The congested Park Circus station area has long been plagued by illegal shops, particularly in a minority community-dominated locality. Allegations of harassment and crimes against railway passengers prompted the recent eviction drive. After the state government change, a decision was made to clear illegal hawkers from the station premises, resulting in a two-and-a-half-hour-long operation. Additionally, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has initiated similar actions to remove encroachments under flyovers across the city.
