Mamata Banerjee Commands Kolkata Cleanup: Police Begin Footpath Eviction Drive

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, expressed strong displeasure over the encroachment of footpaths in Kolkata and Salt Lake. In response, Kolkata Police began an eviction drive to remove obstacles and dismantle makeshift stalls. The drive targeted various areas, including Bhowanipore, Hatibagan, and the IT hub in Salt Lake.

In a stern move following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's strong criticism of footpath encroachments, Kolkata Police commenced an assertive eviction drive on Tuesday. This operation, aimed at clearing obstructed walkways in the city and its adjacent areas such as Salt Lake, has seen the removal of stalls selling food items, garments, and other products.

Police officers, with the assistance of earthmovers, began the eviction early in the morning. Key areas affected by this drive included the footpaths in front of the state-run SSKM Hospital in Bhowanipore, as well as Hatibagan and Gariahat. Salt Lake's Sector V, an information technology hub, and Sector III were similarly targeted.

"We are firmly disallowing any encroachments on the city's footpaths. Initially, we request hawkers to voluntarily dismantle their structures; if they fail to comply, we deploy earthmovers to clear the areas," stated a senior officer from Kolkata Police. Chief Minister Banerjee had earlier lashed out at civic inefficiencies, particularly criticizing party colleagues and officials for the widespread encroachments.

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