The Trinamool Congress-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) had to call off the drive to evict hawkers and demolish unauthorised structures midway on Wednesday becasue of resistance put up by local party workers.

The SMC launched the drive according to the instruction of chief minister Mamata Banerjee who had in June expressed discontentment with the rampant encroachment on government land and mushrooming of hawkers across the state.

On Wednesday, a team of SMC employees and officials reached Mallaguri in north Siliguri and began removing illegal shanties and other structures.

When a bulldozer and SMC vehicles reached the Siliguri Junction area, a section of shopowners raised protests. Carrying the flags of the INTTUC (Trinamool’s trade union), they raised slogans and demonstrated in front of the bulldozer.

“We are also in favour of development and want the government to clear encroachments. But we were not provided with adequate time to shift our shops to alternative places. That is why we protested against the drive,” said Narsing Mahato, a trader in the Siliguri Junction area.

He said untill and unless all the shops were shifted, the traders wouldn’t let the civic body carry out the drive. The area has 50-odd shops.

Sources in the SMC said Wednesday’s drive had started from Mallaguri to clear different stretches of Hill Cart Road — the busiest thoroughfare in Siliguri — and headed towards Siliguri Junction.

“We removed around 100 illegal shanties, makeshift stalls and some unauthorised structures from the road. However, we were stopped near Siliguri Junction. Considering the protests, we decided to call off the drive today,” said a source.

On Tuesday, the eviction drive by the SMC was stalled at Pradhannagar in the city by Dilip Barman, a TMC councillor and the member, mayor-in-council (trade licence and sports).

The back-to-back resistance from Trinamool leaders and workers to the drive raised questions within the party.

“The resistance hints that district TMC functionaries have no control over a section of local leaders and supporters. How can the party remain silent when there is a specific instruction from the chief minister? These people need to be reined in so that they
don’t resort to highhandedness in the future,” said a TMC functionary.

Nirjal Dey, the Darjeeling (plains) district INTTUC president, said: “A section of traders protested against the civic body’s drive. I will talk to them.”

Mayor Gautam Deb said the drive to clear encroachments would continue.