Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will not conduct any drive to remove the bookstalls in the College Street area, municipal commissioner Smita Pandey clarified on Thursday.
According to the municipal commissioner, though regular drives to remove encroachment on the carriageways will continue in and around College Street, the civic body will spare the traditional bookstalls. “We have no plans to remove the bookstall owners from the pavements of College Street. Though drives are being conducted to free the carriageways of encroachment, we won’t evict the booksellers,” said Pandey.
According to a KMC official associated with the regular anti-encroachment drives, the city-wide drive by the KMC and police to make the carriageways free of encroachment has sent a wrong signal to the pavement booksellers in College Street. “These bookstall owners have been doing business for decades. These stalls have become part and parcel of Kolkata’s academic and cultural growth. We won’t conduct any eviction drives there. However, we will ask these booksellers not to encroach on the carriageways as that is totally illegal as per hawking laws,” said the civic official.
Background of College Street Bookstalls
College Street, often called Boi Para (book neighborhood), is a historic hub for books in Kolkata. For generations, these pavement bookstalls have been a vital part of the city's intellectual and cultural landscape, attracting students, scholars, and book lovers from across the region.
Anti-Encroachment Drives Continue
The KMC has been conducting regular anti-encroachment drives across Kolkata to clear carriageways of illegal hawking and obstructions. However, the commissioner's statement ensures that the iconic bookstalls will be exempt from such actions, preserving a cherished tradition.
Booksellers in the area have expressed relief at the clarification, though they remain cautious about future enforcement. The KMC has urged them to comply with regulations regarding carriageway encroachment to avoid any legal issues.
