Bulldozer rolls at TMC office, shops in Bengal amid anti-encroachment drive

Weeks after coming to power, the BJP-led West Bengal government has intensified its action against alleged illegal encroachments on public places, with a TMC party office and several adjoining shops demolished using bulldozers in North 24 Parganas's Titagarh on Saturday.

The demolished structures were located in Ward No 12 under the Titagarh Municipality. Authorities carried out the demolition in the presence of Titagarh Police and fire brigade officials.

According to local information, the party office was being run by Inam Khan, a local TMC leader. After his arrest earlier in the day, law enforcement agencies launched the demolition operation. It has been alleged that the party office and the adjacent shops were being used for illegal activities.

The action comes amid a series of anti-encroachment and demolition drives across the state.

On May 27, authorities conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive outside Howrah railway station, where bulldozers demolished rows of makeshift shops and illegal structures along the stretch from the Ganga ghat to the station premises. The operation was carried out jointly by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), railway authorities and Howrah City Police. Security personnel were deployed in large numbers across the area to prevent any untoward incidents during the eviction drive.

Earlier, on May 24, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) launched a large-scale demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions in several parts of Kolkata, including Tiljala, Kasba and Beleghata. Backed by heavy police deployment, civic authorities demolished structures that were allegedly built in violation of municipal norms.

The latest demolition in Titagarh is part of the broader crackdown on alleged illegal constructions and encroachments being carried out across West Bengal.

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