The blaze as it raged through Transport Chowpathy on Wednesday and (Below) the remains of the shops, which were gutted by the fire or bulldozed, on Friday. Pictures by Main Uddin Chisti

Siliguri, Oct. 10: The Cooch Behar Municipality has come in for attack for its alleged decision to bulldoze some of the shops during Wednesday’s fire at Transport Chowpathy here.

“The fire broke out around 10pm when four of our engines rushed to the spot to douse the flames. We had no problem doing the job as there was adequate water. The residents were also cooperative,” said Maloy Ghosh, the officer-in-charge of the Cooch Behar fire station. “At a time when the flames seemed to have been completely doused, Biren Kundu, the municipality chairman who was at the spot, suddenly ordered that some of shops be demolished with bulldozer. The decision had put us in inconvenience and also increased the quantum of loss. We have lodged a complaint against Kundu with the Kotwali police station.”

Electrical short-circuit was said to be the reason behind the incident.

Sources in the fire brigade said the flames broke out first in a sportgoods shop and later engulfed three others. The municipality bulldozer demolished another three shops in the same location.

“The fire broke out in a shop which is two shops away from mine. When the fire fighters were about to douse the flames completely, the bulldozer unnecessarily destroyed my shop,” said Narayan Modak, a trader.

The Trinamul Congress, while alleging that the fire was pre-planned, demanded an inquiry into the incident. Rabindranath Ghosh, the party’s district unit chief, said: “We will submit a memorandum to the district administration demanding Kundu’s arrest.”

The municipality chairman, however, defended the decision. “The bulldozer was used to control the fire and to prevent it from spreading further. It was done to protect the traders’ interest. But the Trinamul members are unnecessarily making it an issue,” Kundu said.

Asesh Biswas, the additional superintendent of police, said he had no idea about the controversy. “I am looking into it,” he said.