DARJEELING: The civic authorities in Darjeeling initiated a significant eviction drive to decongest the town, dismantling temporary stalls set up by hawkers at Mahakal Market, below Chowrasta. This follows an announcement by GTA chief executive Anit Thapa, declaring Chowrasta a vendor-free zone starting August 15.
“For years, hawkers have encroached on this route, causing congestion and public complaints about the difficulty in walking through the area. The time had come to address this issue,” stated Darjeeling municipality chairman Dipen Thakuri. He mentioned a resettlement project for the hawkers, Which is beginning today.
The project involves relocating hawkers to a newly constructed hall near the current location. The lower floor of a new platform at Chowrasta will house the hawkers and feature amenities like a children’s park, a senior citizens’ area, and a busking center for youth. Funded by the GTA, the project aims to resettle one group of hawkers within six months, with the entire project completed in phases.
In the interim, 182 hawkers will sell their goods from the 51 permanent stalls already present, operating on a rotational basis.
This move follows a prolonged struggle for the hawkers, initially removed from Nehru Road in 2012. Despite creating 51 permanent stalls, the hawkers deemed these too small, leading to temporary stalls in 2013 and resulting in severe congestion.
“We are happy as we are getting justice after a very long time. All our 182 members are happy,” said Sheela Gurung, one of the affected hawkers.
The municipality plans to continue similar eviction drives in other congested areas, including Mahakal temple at Mall Road. Efforts are also underway to clear Nehru Road and other crowded spots. Additionally, Thakuri revealed plans to introduce a tourist tax within the municipality area, set at Rs. 10.