The Jalpaiguri district administration that launched a drive to clear encroachments from government land across the district carried out a drive on Tuesday to clear land on the Teesta river bank where shops have illegally come up.

Sources said some shops have come up on the land owned by the state PWD in Marichbari of Domohoni under the Mainaguri block of the district. The locality is on the left bank of the Teesta.

A team led by the BDO, officials of PWD, and the police reached the spot. They demolished a shop that had come up on a marshland and served notices to others who had set up shops and godowns.

“Those who have built shops and other structures on the PWD’s land have been asked to vacate the land within seven days. Or else, the administration will demolish the shops to take possession of the land,” said Sunil Sarkar, a resident.

The administration has cleared encroachments from government land in different locations in Jalpaiguri. Portions of private properties, including tourist resorts, have been demolished during the drive.

“The drive will continue to clear encroachments from government land,” said Shama Parveen, the district magistrate.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed discontentment with the encroachment on government land across Bengal.

Assembling units

In another initiative, the administration in Jalpaiguri has started closing down illegal shops and assembling units of e-rickshaws, commonly known as totos, in the district.

On Tuesday, officials of the regional transport authority sealed a showroom at Paharpur which is off NH 27 and on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town.

“There is a specific instruction from Nabanna that no showroom or assembling unit of e-rickshaws that do not adhere to the laid-down rules and safety standards will be allowed to run. That is why, we have launched the drive,” said an official.

Officials of the transport department will check the documents of each such showroom and assembling units to prevent the mushrooming of illegal units, sources said.