A Trinamool councillor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) halted an anti-encroachment drive launched by the civic body at Pradhannagar here on Tuesday demanding proper rehabilitation of affected vendors and shop owners.

The protest by Dilip Barman, who is also a member of the mayor-in-council (trade licence and sports), prompted the civic employees and officials to stop clearing encroachments along Nivedita Road — a popular thoroughfare in the north of the city.

“Most vendors and shopkeepers here have been running their business for around 35 years. We will not let the civic body evict them. The SMC authorities should first find a place to rehabilitate them properly and then only they can carry out such an anti-encroachment drive,” said Barman, the councillor of Ward 46.

Sources in the SMC said 142 illegal shops and shanties had come up on both sides of the road, narrowing it down and triggering traffic congestion.

As the SMC team reached the spot, the traders resorted to a protest with Barman in the lead. The team demolished some shanties but left the spot as the protests intensified.

“Several parcels of government land are lying vacant or are illegally encroached upon in adjoining areas (of Pradhannagar). We have identified many of them. These affected traders can be rehabilitated on such plots,” said Barman.

His action, however, did not go down well in the Trinamool, especially because chief minister Mamata Banerjee had given a clear instruction that encroachers
should be removed from government land.

“It is surprising that despite being a representative and an office-bearer of the SMC, he opposed the drive. We hope the party leadership will take cognisance and take necessary steps to refrain him from such acts. Whatever happened today, has led to a loss of face for the party as he resorted to highhandedness and stopped the civic team,” said a senior TMC functionary in the city.

Barman, however, sounded unperturbed. “My message is loud and clear. The affected people have to be rehabilitated first,” he said.

Later in the day, Barman attended a meeting with mayor Gautam Deb, deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar and other members of the mayor-in-council.

When Deb was told about Barman’s action after the meeting, he said: “The state has decided to clear encroachments from government land. We are following the policy and everybody should follow it,” said the mayor.