In a shocking revelation, the Railway Ministry has said that the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal is not cooperating in removing encroachments from a railway station in the Kolkata city. In a written reply submitted at the Rajya Sabha on 1st August, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that while the Indian Railways have been carrying out eviction drives from time to time at Park Circus Railway Station, the drives are not successful due to lack of support from the State Government.
The answer was provided for a question by BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya, who asked whether Government is aware of the severe encroachment issues at Park Circus Railway Station in Kolkata including the presence of hawkers blocking pavements and reducing passenger accessibility, and if so, steps taken to remove unauthorized encroachments and ensure free movement of commuters.
The Railway Minister stated in the reply, “Indian Railways have carried out eviction drives from time to time at Park Circus Railway Station for removal of encroachments, but these efforts have not been successful due to lack of support from the State Government.”
Park Circus railway station is a Suburban Railway station in Kolkata, located in the Park Circus area of the city. The station has been facing encroachments for several years, with huts constructed made right o the platforms. The footpaths leading to the station are also occupied by hawkers. Authorities conduct eviction drives time to time, but the encroachers return almost immediately.
A video made earlier this year by vlogger shows the poor state of the station, including shanties made on the platform of the railway station. The vlogger calls it Kolkata’s most undeveloped railway station.
