Kolkata: A joint team of KMC officials and Kolkata Police on Tuesday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in Rajabazar, demolishing as well as resizing illegal stalls that blocked pavements and carriageways.
Around 10 stalls were pulled down and 50 were resized. The team removed the plastic sheets that covered the stretch and confiscated furniture that hawkers used to encroach on road space. Sellers did attempt to resist but police ensured that the drive went off smoothly.
Officials said notices were earlier served, asking shopkeepers and vendors to clear the encroachments. "Jams had become a routine and the pavements had been blocked. Meat shops, vegetable stalls, and eateries had extended their counters illegally. We demolished those portions," said a Narkeldanga PS officer. A KMC official described the action as part of a larger initiative to reclaim public spaces and decongest the city.