KOLKATA: A massive anti-encroachment drive was carried out outside Howrah railway station past midnight, with bulldozers demolishing rows of makeshift shops and illegal structures along the stretch from the Ganga ghat to the station premises, officials said on Sunday.The operation was jointly conducted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), railway authorities and Howrah City Police, with heavy deployment of security personnel across the area to prevent any untoward incident during the eviction drive.Using bulldozers and earthmovers, authorities removed several temporary stalls and structures occupying footpaths and public spaces near the bus stand and Ganga ghat area as part of a railway land clearance initiative aimed at improving passenger convenience.Though the Railways did not issue an official statement on the operation, officials described it as part of a routine cleanup exercise.Officials said encroachments in the area had for years led to severe congestion and inconvenience for passengers entering and exiting the station, one of the busiest railway terminals in the country.Visuals from the spot showed police barricading large sections of the locality while bulldozers razed roadside shops selling food items, plastic goods and other daily-use articles.Several hawkers alleged they were not given adequate prior notice before the demolition drive and claimed the action had severely affected their livelihoods. Some traders said many of the stalls had existed for decades and demanded rehabilitation or alternative vending arrangements from the authorities.“There should be beautification and proper management, but poor vendors should also be rehabilitated,” one hawker said.“We will have to resort to suicide if no rehabilitation is provided,” another stall owner affected by the drive said.Eyewitnesses said tension briefly escalated when some vendors attempted to resist the eviction, leading to heated exchanges and pushing between protesters and police personnel. The situation was later brought under control.Authorities maintained that the drive was necessary to clear illegal occupation of railway land and improve pedestrian movement and security around the station area. Police deployment in the locality continued on Sunday morning.
