Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw exposed what many have long suspected that the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is actively obstructing the Indian Railways’ attempts to clear illegal encroachments at Kolkata’s Park Circus Railway Station.
Responding to a pointed question by BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya, who asked whether Government is aware of the severe encroachment issues at Park Circus Railway Station in Kolkata including the presence of hawkers blocking pavements and reducing passenger accessibility, and if so, steps taken to remove unauthorized encroachments and ensure free movement of commuters.
Vaishnaw didn’t mince words, “Indian Railways have carried out eviction drives from time to time at Park Circus Railway Station for removal of encroachments, but these efforts have not been successful due to lack of support from the State Government.”
Park Circus is not just any railway station. It sits at the heart of Kolkata’s densely packed urban zone and serves as a crucial node in the Eastern Railway suburban network. But today, it stands as a symbol of utter administrative failure and political sabotage.
Platforms are clogged with makeshift shanties, footpaths are blocked by unauthorized hawkers, and commuters walk through filth and insecurity as they try to board local trains. This is not a temporary situation it is the new normal, enabled by a state government that seems more committed to preserving illegal vote banks than ensuring basic civic order.
Indian Railways, under the Modi government, has:
- Deployed Railway Protection Force (RPF) for enhanced passenger safety
- Installed CCTVs for round-the-clock surveillance
- Initiated Swachh Bharat campaigns to improve sanitation
- Conducted multiple eviction drives
But every time the Railways clears the platforms, the encroachers return, emboldened by state-backed inaction. The Bengal Police and local municipal bodies, under Mamata Banerjee’s control, are nowhere to be seen when support is needed. “Without state machinery like the police and municipal arms, such eviction efforts are bound to fail,” a senior railway official told media, requesting anonymity. “It’s like pushing a boulder uphill and Mamata’s government is pushing back from the top.”
BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya took to X to post a scathing rebuke:
“Is this the governance Bengal deserves?
- Hawkers blocking pavements
- Encroachments endangering commuters
- Anti-social elements threatening security
- Unhygienic conditions risking public health
Yet, no cooperation from the State Govt to clean up a major urban railway hub?”
HUGE STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT BY RAILWAY MINISTER SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW ON MAMATA BANERJEE GOVERNMENT
Today in Rajya Sabha, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made a telling revelation:
📍 “Indian Railways has conducted eviction drives at Park Circus Railway Station from… pic.twitter.com/tvlNZaEwgJ
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 1, 2025
His statement resonated with thousands of citizens across Kolkata, who have for long been subjected to rotting infrastructure and chaotic public services, especially in Trinamool-controlled urban zones. Multiple sources, including senior police officials and civic activists, confirm what the Railway Minister stopped short of stating directly — the encroachments are politically protected.
Local encroachers, hawkers’ unions, and slum lobbies have long been aligned with TMC ward-level functionaries. Clearing them would mean challenging one of Mamata Banerjee’s core urban vote banks a risk she’s clearly not willing to take.
“Encroachment is not just tolerated, it is curated,” said retired Kolkata Police officer R.N. Ghosh. “There’s a system of hafta collection, political protection, and electoral mobilization. If you disturb this ecosystem, you risk political backlash.”
Videos circulating online this year including one by a popular Kolkata vlogger show shanties built directly on the railway platform, no visible law enforcement, and commuters navigating garbage and makeshift settlements to access trains. The footage has gone viral with captions branding it “Kolkata’s shame” and “Banerjee’s neglect in full view.”
Citizens’ groups and commuter forums are now demanding judicial intervention. “When the state becomes an obstacle to governance, the courts must step in,” said commuter rights lawyer Sandeep Bose, who is preparing to file a PIL in the Calcutta High Court demanding immediate action.
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