KALIMPONG, 07th August: The West Bengal Forest Department has issued an ultimatum to over 40+ roadside shops from 2nd Mile to Tista in the Kalimpong district, demanding their dismantling within seven days. This eviction order, aimed at preventing encroachment on government land, has caused widespread concern in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
Shopkeepers, facing the loss of their livelihoods, rushed to the Kalimpong District Forest Department office on Tuesday in a state of panic. One woman, who runs a shop covered with plastic, voiced her distress: “The Forest Department is torturing us day and night. Are we not human beings? Where will we go? What will we do for a living?”
A group led by Trinamool Congress leader Sanjok Gupta submitted a memorandum to Forest Department officials, urging that the shops not be demolished. Gupta accused the department of indifference and pledged support for the shopkeepers, arguing they were being treated unfairly compared to others along the roadside who had not received any notices.