Mamata Banerjee Calls Meeting Amidst Controversial Anti-Encroachment Drive

In the midst of a massive anti-encroachment drive in major metropolitan centers, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to call a meeting with civic bosses and seniors in the state administration on Thursday, confounding many in Bengal's corridors of power.

Several high-ranking state government officials and Trinamool leaders acknowledged that, in light of the chief minister's clear directives for the crackdown on government land, Thursday's meeting seemed perplexing, if not unnecessary.

According to a Trinamool leader, there might be some reversal of course in response to "negativity" surrounding the drive. It's not simple for her to strike a deft balance, he remarked.

According to a top bureaucrat, they had no idea what the agenda for the meeting was.

As of right now, the administration is implementing the chief minister's directive to eradicate unauthorized encroachment on public land. In Bidhannagar, New Town, and Calcutta, multiple unauthorized encroachments were cleared on Wednesday. Until further instructions are given, the action will go on. "I am uncertain about the chief minister's remarks for tomorrow," he remarked.

Mamata chastised civic body chiefs and administrative staff in public on Monday for encroaching on government land. She had commanded the authorities to respond after claiming that law enforcement and elected officials were profiting from permitting such unlawful activity.

Given that the eviction campaign was not sending out the correct signals in front of the 2026 Assembly elections, a number of Trinamool lawmakers speculated that Mamata may now instruct the authorities to slow down.

"From the start, the Trinamool Congress has made its policies extremely clear. Our party opposes the taking of private or public property by force. A Trinamool MLA stated, "What the authorities have been doing is evicting people from city streets arbitrarily, which is affecting the livelihood of the poor people."

Mamata had informed bureaucrats and civic organizations on Monday that she would not put up with such anomalies and that those in charge would face severe consequences. She had stated that unlawful building and encroachment on government land have grown to be serious issues in Howrah, Bidhannagar, and New Town—Rajarhat.

Since the issue is hurting the ruling party's chances of winning elections in urban areas, it is evident that the chief minister does not want to let it go unanswered. According to a person with knowledge of the issue, "roads are becoming narrower, areas are becoming congested, and civic amenities are getting affected because of the encroachment."

Mamata was adamant that she would deal with the problem before the Assembly elections to ensure her party's chances were unaffected.

According to sources, the chief minister was aware that the opposition would not be able to use the issue as leverage in urban areas if she took the initiative to end corruption in civic authorities.

According to Trinamool sources, the Mamata government approved a proposal in 2015 granting anyone who encroached on government land for five years the right to permanent settlement.

This had made it easier for us to win over the oppressed individuals who were living in the colonies and shantytowns established on public land. Furthermore, because of the policy, we were able to get support from the street sellers. These were once ardent supporters of the CPM. A Trinamool MP stated, "Now, if they are evicted overnight, it would definitely hurt the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls."

Mamata might establish a clear policy on eviction from government land at Thursday's meeting, according to sources close to the ruling party.

She might state unequivocally that anyone facing eviction ought to be provided with suitable housing. Four markets have previously been established by the NKDA (New Town Kolkata Development Authority) to displace street sellers who were illegitimately occupying government land. According to a Trinamool leader, the chief minister may request that the government create a rehabilitation plan before beginning the eviction campaign arbitrarily.

The BJP attempted to take advantage of the situation.

Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition, questioned whether the crackdown was discriminatory based on religion and criticized it.

"I would like to know if the chief minister is focusing on specific areas like Bidhannagar, Hatibagan, and Gariahat, or if the effort to reclaim encroached government land was initiated from Darjeeling to Digha and Cooch Behar to Kakdwip," the man posed the question.

"You started a bulldozer push today in places like Behala and Bidhannagar. In an attempt to polarize, he continued, "We want to know when your police and authorities will take the same action in areas like..." "Why do different areas have different levels of justice?"

This publication, however, could find no evidence of any such discrimination against any community in the way the exercise was conducted.

Adhikari also promised to "stand in front of bulldozers" and defend those who are being evicted, saying that the BJP would be with them beginning on Thursday. He insisted that before launching such a crackdown, the state administration should establish a clear SOP and give notice in plenty of time.

Citu, the trade union section of the CPM, also expressed its disapproval of the "forced eviction drive."

Before launching the eviction campaign, the state unit of Citu urged in a statement released on Wednesday that the 2014 Central Hawkers' Act be implemented and that street sellers be given alternate means of subsistence.

Citu blasted the chief minister for failing to stop the corruption committed by Trinamool leaders, condemned the "inhumane eviction of hawkers," and demanded that the state government immediately start negotiations with the hawkers' unions.