Agartala: Feb 27: Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman has strongly criticized the municipal corporation for demolishing the Lake Chowmuhani market, accusing the authorities of acting without providing an alternative for the traders. Barman pointed out the hypocrisy of the municipal corporation, noting that when shops were being illegally built in the market, both the mayor and the commissioner of the corporation remained silent. These shops were constructed with significant financial investments, yet the corporation did not intervene at that time. However, after the traders had invested their money and set up shops, they were evicted without any provision for an alternative location. Barman demanded that the mayor immediately arrange a suitable alternative for the affected traders.
In a related development, the Pradesh Congress issued a press release condemning the actions of the municipal corporation and the state government. The release described the eviction as part of the “anti-people” actions of the “triple-engine government” and accused the municipal corporation of an autocratic attack on the working people, particularly the small traders and hawkers in Lake Chowmuhani. According to the Congress, municipal authorities, in collaboration with the state police, demolished the livelihoods of hundreds of traders and looted their goods. The press release compared this to “adding insult to injury” and criticized the government for repeatedly harassing, evicting, and looting the goods of hawkers and small shopkeepers in Agartala and other parts of the state under the pretext of beautification and development projects.
The Congress further alleged that the true motive behind these actions is the opportunity for illegal financial gains by certain BJP leaders and activists, rather than genuine development. They pointed to the UPA government’s law, which mandates that hawkers and small shopkeepers cannot be evicted without a proper alternative rehabilitation plan. The Congress condemned the municipal corporation’s actions, calling them a violation of these laws and demanding full compensation for the traders whose goods were damaged, along with immediate alternative arrangements for their livelihoods in a suitable location.
