Shop owners who rent stalls under flyovers and bridges from state government agencies are uncertain whether they will have to vacate the spaces after receiving eviction notices from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The uncertainty arose after the KMC pasted notices last week under flyovers and bridges, asking shops and stalls to vacate the spaces. The notices also covered shops allotted by government agencies such as the Kolkata Improvement Trust (KIT), now merged with the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Sources in the KMC said notices were served to shops under more than 15 flyovers and bridges across Calcutta.

Metro spoke to shop owners under two such structures — Bijon Setu over the Ballygunge railway tracks and the Sealdah flyover. They said the shops had been allotted to them by state government agencies and that they continue to pay rent to those agencies.

Kasba KIT Market, under Bijon Setu, on Monday

The traders were surprised that the government was continuing to collect rent and other charges from them while simultaneously serving them with eviction notices.

“The stalls were allotted to us in 1976. We pay rent to KIT. There are nearly 600 shops in this market,” said a shop owner at Kasba KIT Market, under Bijon Setu.

Shop owners at Sisir Market, under the Sealdah flyover, said the stalls had been allotted by the KMC.

“There are over 900 stalls in the market. We were allotted the shops in 1986. Earlier, we ran our stalls from a space near NRS Medical College and Hospital,” said Nakul Kundu, general secretary of Sealdah Sisir Market.

“We pay rent as well as market maintenance charges to the KMC. This is besides the trade licence fee we pay to the civic body. We are still not sure whether the notice is meant for us or for the stalls that have been set up illegally,” Kundu said.

Sisir Market also houses an office of the KMC’s market department.

The traders have met KMC officials twice since the notices were served, but said they were given no clarity.

“Even the KMC officials posted in our market could not say whether we fall within the notice’s purview or whether it is meant only for illegal stalls,” said a trader in Sisir Market.

While many flyovers and bridges have hawkers operating on the roads or pavements below them, the shops at Kasba KIT Market and Sisir Market are in the space on the underside of the flyover deck.

Sources in the KMC said the civic body wanted all spaces under flyovers cleared, whether on roads, pavements or beneath the deck.

“We have clear instructions from the state government to clear all spaces under flyovers so there is no obstacle to inspecting them. If the piers and the deck remain visible at all times, any damage can be detected as soon as it appears,” said a KMC official.

Officials, however, said they were not sure how these several hundred shops would be removed.

“We are aware that this will not be easy, but it is necessary. We needed to set the process in motion, and by serving the notices, we have done that,” said a KMC official.