Law-violation-municipality

Barrackpore, Dec 29 (UNI) Despite heavy resistance from the local businessmen the civic authorities demolished the 60-year-old Nona Chandanpukur market in North 24 Paraganas today.

A police and Rapid Action Force were deployed to demolish the market, which was one of the oldest place of commercial actvities.

Several vendors including a teenager was injured while protesting against the demolition.

The Bazar Byabsa Banchao Committee (BBBC) members were driven away by the police as they were protesting the move.

Three people were taken into custody, police officials said.

Municipal authorities had planned to transform the place into a multipurpose market-cum-housing complex providing space for only 250 vendors in the underground basement, official sources said.

Chairman Bijali Kanti Mitra said the construction work for this six crore rupees project would begin from today.

The agitating BBBC and a few shop owners had earlier moved the court while five old shop owners obtained stay orders to refrain the civic authorities from demolishing their shops.

Yet two of the five shops were demolished using bulldozer, the BBBC alleged.

Barrackpore Sub Divisional Officer Jyotishman Chakrabarty, admitted the fact that two of the five shops were demolished inadvertently where court had issued stay orders.

"We will reconstruct the shops immediately," Mr Chakroborty said.

Traffic was disrupted for two hours near Barrackpore-Barasat road due to the agitation.

UNI XC PP KLC1814