The Jalpaiguri district administration on Saturday continued its demolition drive targeting unauthorised constructions of private resorts which encroached on parcels of government land in the Dooars.

A team of administrative and police officials reached Kumlai in Mal block and engaged bulldozers to demolish the boundary walls and office rooms of four private resorts. Kumlai is in the vicinity of the Gorumara National Park.

Following specific instructions from chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the administration conducted a survey to detect encroached government land in the
Rajganj, Mal, Matiali and Kranti blocks of the Jalpaiguri district.

“These are the areas where private resorts have come up. In several cases, it has been found that the resorts have encroached on government land which is next to the private land to create passageways, kids’ zones and other facilities. That is why the drive has been launched,” said a source in the administration.

On Saturday, portions of some resorts in the Kranti block were also demolished.

During the drive, the team had to face protests. Owners of some of the resorts asked the team to furnish them with government orders dealing with the demolition.

“The team members, including officials of the land and land reforms department, asked the resort owners to speak to the district magistrate, which made the owners allow the team to demolish the structures,” said a source.

In the past fortnight, several unauthorised structures, especially those of resorts, were pulled down in the Dooars.

Shankar Ghosh, the BJP MLA of Siliguri, called the crackdown on the encroachment a hogwash.

“The administration is demolishing only portions of illegal properties and not the entire structures. This is an eyewash and attempts are being made to save encroachers, including some Trinamool Congress leaders,” said Ghosh.

Mahua Gope, the Jalpaiguri district TMC president, said: “The BJP is trying to do politics over the issue. The drive is going on and there is a clear instruction from
the chief minister that no government land can be encroached on.”