Assam: Questions raised after Sribhumi municipality inaugurates market days after eviction drive

Questions have emerged over the actions of Sribhumi Municipality after a market previously subjected to an eviction drive was formally inaugurated within weeks of being cleared, prompting criticism and allegations of administrative inconsistency.

According to available information, the Executive Officer of Sribhumi Municipality conducted an eviction operation on June 8 in the Ghat Line area of Sribhumi town with support from a sizeable police deployment. The drive targeted a market that had reportedly developed on railway land and had earlier been categorised as unauthorised.

However, on 24 June, less than three weeks after the eviction exercise, the same market was inaugurated through a ribbon-cutting ceremony reportedly led by Municipality Chairman Rabindra Chandra Dev. The event was also attended by the district presidents of the BJP and the Congress.

Local sources stated that the market had been functioning on railway land for the past two to three years and had repeatedly faced eviction drives by municipal authorities, often once or twice annually. Residents alleged that despite such operations, commercial activity at the site would resume within a short period.

The municipality’s decision to inaugurate the market following the recent eviction has led to public questions regarding the administrative process involved and whether the market had been granted formal recognition despite its earlier status.

The development has also triggered political reactions. CPI leader Chandan Chakraborty criticised the move and warned of a larger public agitation in the coming days against what he described as the municipality’s actions.

No official clarification regarding the change in status of the market was immediately available.