Bulldozers roll through Kolkata as BJP government vows wider anti-encroachment drive across Bengal

Days after taking power in West Bengal, the BJP-led government headed by Suvendu Adhikari has launched an aggressive anti-encroachment drive across Kolkata and adjoining areas, targeting illegal structures, unauthorised hawkers and roadside vendors with bulldozers and demolition squads.

Large-scale eviction operations were carried out around Howrah Railway Station and Sealdah Railway Station over the weekend, with authorities removing hundreds of stalls and makeshift structures in an effort to reclaim public spaces and ease congestion.

State minister Dilip Ghosh said the crackdown marked the beginning of a wider statewide campaign against illegal construction and encroachments.

“The new government has initiated this process from day one. We will not tolerate any form of encroachment on government land,” Ghosh said, adding that bulldozers would continue operating across Bengal.

Kolkata at centre of anti-encroachment push

Encroachment has long been a politically sensitive urban issue in Kolkata, where informal markets, roadside stalls and illegal extensions occupy pavements and roads in several busy neighbourhoods including Park Circus, Gariahat, Esplanade, Burrabazar and Topsia.

The BJP has accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of allowing illegal construction and unauthorised commercial activity to flourish during its 15 years in power.

Authorities say the situation is particularly severe around Howrah and Sealdah stations, where crowded pavements and unauthorised stalls often force pedestrians onto roads and contribute to chronic traffic congestion.

Urban planners have long warned that unchecked encroachments strain ageing civic infrastructure and pose safety risks.

Topsia-Tiljala demolitions after fire

One of the first major demolition drives under the new administration took place in Kolkata’s Topsia-Tiljala belt on May 12, shortly after a fire in an allegedly illegal leather factory killed two people.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had earlier identified Topsia-Tiljala, along with Garden Reach, Metiabruz and Rajabazar, as “red zones” due to widespread illegal construction.

Officials said over 1,000 structures had been marked for demolition in the area and claimed that nearly 70% of buildings constructed over the past decade lacked proper approvals.

Following the blaze, Adhikari directed authorities to demolish the affected building and announced a “zero-tolerance policy” toward illegal structures.

However, the demolition campaign soon ran into legal hurdles after the Calcutta High Court issued an interim stay on further demolitions until June 22 following petitions from residents alleging lack of due process.

The tensions spilled onto the streets on Sunday when protests near Park Circus escalated into clashes involving stone pelting. Police later used lathi charges to disperse crowds after several personnel were injured.

Rail station eviction drives affect hundreds

A larger operation unfolded late Saturday around Howrah and Sealdah stations, involving the Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police, railway authorities and local police.

Officials said around 150 roadside stalls and nearly 200 hawkers were removed near Howrah station, while approximately 250 hawkers and stalls were cleared from Sealdah station platforms to improve passenger movement.

“Every single station in Bengal has been turned into a marketplace. It is overflowing with filth,” Ghosh said, asserting that the Railways would reclaim public property for passenger use.

Some vendors resisted the eviction drives, leading to heated confrontations with security personnel.

Several affected hawkers alleged they were not given adequate notice before the demolitions and demanded rehabilitation or alternative vending spaces.

“We ran a fast food shop for many years. It’s now gone. No notice was issued to us,” one vendor told local media.

Another stall owner said, “We will have to resort to suicide if no rehabilitation is provided.”

The anti-encroachment campaign has quickly emerged as one of the most visible and contentious initiatives of the new BJP administration, with supporters calling it necessary urban reform while critics accuse the government of targeting vulnerable livelihoods without proper safeguards.