Siliguri, 06th December: As the construction of the four-lane elevated road progresses, 31 families living at PWD Lane in Ward No. 45 under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation are facing eviction, triggering strong protests over the absence of permanent rehabilitation.
Despite earlier assurances and documents issued by Mayor Gautam Deb, the affected families claim that no permanent resettlement has been provided so far.
As per reports, on Saturday, tensions escalated when PWD team arrived with demolition machinery to clear the area. A heated confrontation broke out between officials and residents, following which locals staged a protest alleging that they had been misled.
The residents cautioned that they would not vacate the area until permanent rehabilitation arrangements were made. Eventually, after stiff resistance, the PWD team was forced to withdraw the JCB from the site.
The four-lane elevated road project from Balason to Bengal Safari Army Cantonment is currently underway. To speed up the construction work, the 31 families residing near Champasari Circuit House in Ward No. 45 are required to be relocated. These families have reportedly been living in the area for nearly 40 years and regularly pay municipal taxes and electricity bills.
According to the families, Mayor Gautam Deb had assured permanent rehabilitation and had issued documents after calling them to the municipal office. However, the families allege that those documents were later taken back.
With the PWD now preparing to demolish the houses to fast-track the road project, the affected families remain firm in their stand that they will not vacate the area without a guaranteed permanent rehabilitation plan.