Police Stop Construction After Road Encroachment Protest

Local residents in Siliguri protested on Tuesday against the alleged encroachment of a public road near the South Ektiasal market. The situation became tense when residents claimed that the owner of a new multi-story building was trying to occupy a portion of the road. Following the protest, the Ashighar police outpost team reached the site and ordered the construction work to stop immediately.

Details of the land dispute

According to the local residents, the area has been used as an eight-foot-wide road for many years. They allege that the building owner is now claiming this road space as his private property. The tension escalated on Tuesday morning when workers began digging up the road to start construction. Residents fear that closing this path will block daily movement and cause major problems during medical emergencies.

Response from the building owner

Santosh Gupta, the owner of the building, stated that his land was taken to build the road during the previous government's tenure. He claimed that the matter is currently pending in court and he will follow the legal decision based on official documents. The local administration has instructed that all construction must remain paused until the land and road documents are verified. For official updates on local governance and land policies, residents can visit the Siliguri Municipal Corporation website.