The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Monday demolished over 30 temporary shelters that were allegedly occupying a portion of Ramesh Dutta Street in the Beadon Street area.
The drive triggered protests. Those whose homes were demolished went to the home of local MLA and minister Shashi Panja to meet her.
KMC sources said the shanties had been built encroaching on the road.
“Last time, we pulled down some temporary shelters, shops and illegally built patches of garden on the road. On Monday, the remaining structures were pulled down. One of our men was assaulted but police rescued him,” said a KMC official.
Taraknath Chattopadhyay, the councillor of Ward 26, said the drive was necessary as the structures were hindering traffic. “These were all built encroaching on public space. How can one allow this?” he said.
Kishan Kumar, 32, one of those who lost their homes, said: “We are eight family members, including my elderly mother and two young nephews. We have been living here for decades. They pulled down 30 temporary shelters. Where will we go now?” asked Kumar.
A woman in the group said they had gone to Panja’s home to meet her.
Panja told Metro she was not at home when they came. “I was elsewhere on a party programme,” she said.
“The drive was done on the orders of the KMC and there is hardly anything I could do. There were many reasons for the drive. They were encroaching on the road and slowly bringing in more people from their villages. The encroachment was expanding.”