Once again the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) failed to demolish an illegal part of the Nandaram market building, as traders resisted the attempt on Tuesday.Interestingly, no arrests were made, though traders forcibly resisted the KMC drive. “We will demolish the illegal parts of the building anyhow and whoever protests against it should be arrested,” Mayor Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharjee said after officials reported the incident to him.Opposing the move of the KMC, Nandaram Market Disaster Management Welfare (NMDMW) committee started their agitation in the morning. Samar Kanti Chowdhury, secretary of the committee, said earlier also the KMC had tried to demolish the building several times, but they will continue to resist any such move. Nearly a year ago, the Nandaram market was gutted and the KMC had promised to demolish the illegal part of the building after the incident.Earlier in the day, two engineers of the KMC building department went to the market with a large number of policemen for the demolition drive. Corporation officials alleged construction of the building is illegal. Chowdhury, however, said: “We do not agree with them because we pay tax to KMC regularly.” Even two days ago four businessman have paid their tax, he added. Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra also joined the agitation. He said: “If the police resorted to a lathi-charge against protestors we will oppose it.” Debasis Muhuri, a member of the committee, said the police and the engineers were not able to show them any official sanction to demolish the building. On Monday, a KMC official came in the afternoon and told them about the demolition decision.
