Trouble over displacement of poor small traders from Lake Chaumuhuni market, demonstration in front of AMC office, Manik Sarkar visits

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, February 27, 2025

The evicted small traders and poor shop-keepers from the top of the embankment near Kathakhal river close to the busy Lake Chaumuhuni market are preparing to stage a protest demonstration in front of the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) office in City Centre from 4-00 in the afternoon today. They announced their decision to media that the demonstration will be held after apprising the visiting former chief minister Manik Sarkar and senior CPI (M) leaders Ratan Das and Amal Chakraborty who had gone to speak to the evicted shop-keepers and small traders. They informed the CPI (M) leaders including Manik Sarkar how the bull-dozers of AMC had demolished their temporary structures to clear the embankment for construction of a pucca all-weather road since 3-00 in the morning today.

The evicted small traders said that they had urged upon the AMC authority including the Mayor Dipak Majumder to make alternative arrangement for their livelihood by providing space before eviction but this was not heeded. Sources said that the small businessmen and traders had been earning their livelihood by selling vegetables and other household items including fish for the past many years and all the evicted families were dependent on this for their livelihood . but the AMC authority did not pay any heed to their pleas . Even though the Mayor Dipak Majumder had visited the spot a few days ago and given them notice in advance for eviction unless they left on their own.

While speaking to the shop-keepers former chief minister Manik Sarkar and his companions Amal Chakraborty and Ratan Das expressed dismay over their plight and said that the AMC authority should have taken into consideration the matter of their rehabilitation. They assured the evicted traders and shop-keepers that CPI (M) party and leaders will stand by them and remain present during their protest demonstration. But the Mayor Dipak Majumder said that all illegal and permanent constructions on the embankment had been demolished for alternative use as the embankment is an important area and will be used for other important purposes.

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