The Darjeeling municipality’s decision to set up stalls for a “tourism fair” at Chowrastha, the most famous promenade in town, has drawn flak from social organisations and the public.

“Chowrastha is the only open space in town with the surrounding areas occupied with impunity. Why does the civic body now have to set up stalls and inconvenience the public and tourists?” asked Rajesh Gurung, the convener of the Lakysa Samuha, a non-profit.

The NGO, along with representatives of half a dozen other associations, held a media conference in Darjeeling on Monday and demanded that Chowrastha be left alone. “Elders take a walk; tourist enjoy the openness of the place and children play around there. Why do we need a market there?” asked Gurung, who added that the NGO’s previous plea to keep Chowrastha clutter-free had fallen on deaf ears.

Asked if they would approach the court to get a stay on holding any public or government programmes at Chowrastha, also called the Mall, the NGO members said they “would be forced to take the decision” if nothing worked.

“We hear that an expo (fair) which used to be held on the Capitol Hall premises on the premises of the municipality is being shifted there (Chowrastha) and is set to start the day after tomorrow,” said another representative of the NGO. “We request the public to protest this defacement of Chowrastha.”

Dipendra Thakuri, the chairman of the Darjeeling municipality, said the civic body was organising a “tourism fair” during the tourist season. “We could not announce it earlier because of elections but we are holding a tourism fair as this is tourism season. We will provide stalls to SHGs and set up food stalls. Yes, we will also have other stalls as we need to recover the expenses of setting up stalls.”

When told that people were protesting and demanding a clutter-free Chowrastha, Thakuri said: “There is a protest only when the municipality does something. When police organise marathons, when other (government) events happen, none protests.”

The public in Darjeeling is overwhelmingly in favour of a clutter-free Chowrastha and Mall Road, a sentiment which does not echo with that of many politicians, said
a resident.

The administration had removed 106 hawkers from Mall Road when the G20 meeting was held in Darjeeling from April 1 to 3 in 2023. The hawkers were shifted to Bhanu Bhavan, but they returned to the old space near Chowrastha in December stating their business had suffered.