INTTUC protests demanding rehabilitation for vendors

Siliguri: Members of the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC) Siliguri Town Block-03 took to the streets on Monday to demand the rehabilitation of vendors and hawkers who were recently evicted from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Railway Station premises due to ongoing modernisation work under the Central government’s Amrit Bharat Project.

NJP station, one of the most significant transport hubs in North East India, sees thousands of tourists and daily commuters every year. The station is currently undergoing extensive redevelopment, including the construction of a new station building aimed at enhancing passenger amenities and infrastructure.

However, the redevelopment has come at a cost for nearly 200 vendors and hawkers, many of whom have been operating at the station for decades — some for over 50 years. With the construction work underway, these vendors have been evicted, leaving them without a source of livelihood.

In protest, INTTUC organised a rally on Monday, joined by numerous affected hawkers and vendors. They submitted a deputation to the Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) of the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR). They demanded immediate rehabilitation of the evicted vendors and the creation of a designated hawkers’ zone near the station area.

Sujay Sarkar, president of INTTUC Siliguri Town Block 03, said: “These people have been sustaining their families through these small businesses for years. Now, they are left with nothing and no way to earn their daily bread. Earlier too, we staged protests numerous times with the same demand. Again, we have raised the demands to the ADRM. If our demands are not met at the earliest, we will stage a larger movement in future.”