Former minister Manik Dey today made explosive remarks over the recent eviction drive carried out by the municipal corporation, accusing it of waging a “war against the poor” without putting any alternative arrangements in place.

Addressing the issue, Dey said that the civic authorities had demolished shops using bulldozers in an inhumane manner, without providing any rehabilitation or alternative space for traders. He pointed out that these small shops were the sole source of livelihood for many families.

According to him, the evicted traders mostly belong to poor and lower-middle-class families who depend on daily wages and small businesses to sustain their households. “By evicting traders in this manner, the municipal corporation has completely shut down their means of earning a living,” he said.

The former minister further alleged that hawkers in the city are being evicted repeatedly at intervals of every two days. However, he noted that within a short period, the same hawkers return to the footpaths and resume business, indicating that the eviction drive has failed to provide any permanent solution.

Dey urged the municipal corporation to ensure proper rehabilitation and alternative arrangements for hawkers and small traders before carrying out eviction drives. Only then, he said, can a humane and lasting solution to the problem be achieved.