Burnpur: The South Eastern Railway has issued notices to shop owners operating on railway land in the market area adjacent to Burnpur railway station, asking them to vacate the land within seven days. Protesting against this directive, shopkeepers of the Burnpur station market staged a demonstration on Tuesday.
Upon receiving information about the protest, Asansol Municipal Corporation’s Ward No. 78 councillor Ashok Rudra reached the spot and expressed solidarity with the shopkeepers.
The shop owners said that the Railways are asking them to remove their shops from the area, even though many of them have been running their businesses there for over 20 to 30 years. They questioned where they would go if they were evicted without any rehabilitation arrangements.
They further alleged that the Railways repeatedly create problems for local traders in one way or another, which they said is unfair. Several shopkeepers have been earning their livelihood from these shops for more than three decades, and for many, this is their sole source of income. If they are forcibly evicted, they warned, their families would face an existential crisis.
The protesters clarified that they are not opposed to development, but stressed that their livelihood and the future of their families must also be taken into consideration.
Speaking on the issue, Trinamool Congress councillor Ashok Rudra said he rushed to the area after hearing about the matter. He stated that the shopkeepers informed him that railway officials had visited the market and given them a seven-day deadline to vacate their shops. Rudra pointed out that some shopkeepers have been running their businesses for 20 years, while others for over 30 years, and questioned where they would go if suddenly asked to leave.
He added that neither he nor the local residents are against developmental work by the Railways. However, he emphasized that the Railways must also think about the future of the shopkeepers. Rudra asserted that the shopkeepers would not vacate the area unless proper rehabilitation arrangements are made by the railway authorities.
Meanwhile, the South Eastern Railway stated that the eviction notices were issued in accordance with rules, as the shops are allegedly occupying railway land illegally.
It may be noted that in Burnpur, the disputed area lies between railway land on one side and land belonging to SAIL-ISP (IISCO Steel Plant) on the other.