Kolkata: A massive anti-encroachment drive was conducted by railway authorities and police at Dum Dum Junction railway station throughout the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, which demolished more than 200 illegal shops and evicted hundreds of vendors.According to railway sources, the operation began shortly after midnight and continued until dawn. Railway authorities, assisted by a large contingent of police and RPF, removed unauthorised stalls from platforms and adjoining areas. Bulldozers were deployed to clear encroachments along roads outside the station.Govt Railway Police sources confirmed that more than 200 illegal structures were pulled down, with the sole exception of a Gita Press stall and a govt-authorised tea stall. “All illegal shops on the station premises were removed. However, two structures — one each on platform 2 and 3 — were left untouched,” a GRP official said.The eviction triggered tension in the area as hawkers and traders attempted to resist the demolition. Security personnel cordoned off the station and surrounding areas, keeping protesters at bay.The Railways said the operation was part of an ongoing campaign to clear station premises of hawkers. Following similar drives at Sealdah and Howrah stations, notices were recently issued to vendors at Dum Dum. The notices sparked anxiety among traders, prompting meetings by labour unions affiliated with Trinamool and CPM.According to railway officials, many vendors set up shops on roads outside the station, narrowing thoroughfares and causing inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians. “Despite repeated notices over the past week, the encroachers failed to move,” an official said.Railway authorities added that earlier attempts to remove hawkers were unsuccessful due to the backing of labour unions. “Even a few years ago, repeated efforts by Railways to clear Dum Dum Junction failed because of support from various hawkers’ unions. This time, notices were served in advance and the station was cleared in accordance with the law. Such drives against illegal encroachments will continue,” a railway official said.The demolition has left many small traders devastated. Swapan Pal, who had been running a tea and snacks stall on platform 3 for nearly 12 years, said the shop was the sole source of livelihood for his four-member family. “The income from it supported my entire family. Now I have been rendered jobless overnight. The shop was demolished without any arrangement for rehabilitation,” Pal said.Tapas Das, a resident of Pramod Nagar in Dum Dum, had been running an eatery near Station Road, outside platform 4, for nearly a decade. “Around 12.30 am, I received information that all shops in and around the station were being demolished. By the time I arrived, my establishment had already been reduced to rubble. My entire family is now facing uncertainty. We demand immediate rehabilitation,” Das said.A similar drive using bulldozers was carried out within Uttarpara railway station. Illegal stalls and shanties that encroached upon railway property were demolished by railway officers, accompanied by cops and RPF, which also led to brief tension.
