Railways not taking any action against encroachers: Min

Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2024 tabled

Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim in the Assembly on Tuesday blamed Railways for not taking any action against the encroachers along the River Hooghly in front of Howrah station that has obstructed the visibility of the river from the railway station.

Taking cue from the speech of BJP MLA Ashok Lahiri who raised the issue of non-visibility of the River Hooghly from the Howrah Railway Station, Hakim said that Railways did not take any steps to remove the encroachers from their land in front of the railway station as a result people are unable to see the river from the railway station.

Hakim said that townships are being developed in the suburbs. He told the house apart from Kolkata, New Town, urbanization is taking place in the districts. Townships are

taking place on a large scale in Joka, Hakim pointed out.

“It is because of the inaction of the Railways Police that the encroachment happened along the river. As a result, the Hooghly River is not visible from the station,” Hakim said inside the House. The discussion was taking place in the Assembly on the Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 that was tabled. The new Bill will also focus on systematic urbanization.

The Bill aims to provide

better and hassle-free services to the people of Howrah through some changes in the old law.

The proposed Bill will empower the Mayor-in-council to classify all public streets in Howrah in six categories ~ arterial roads, sub-arterial roads, collector roads, local roads, pedestrian pathways and footpaths. The classification will be done with due regard to traffic rules of the particular public street and the nature and volume of traffic on it, its existing width.