CM orders demolition of 'illegal' five-storey building in Kolkata
Kolkata, May 14 -- West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday directed the Trinamool Congress-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to demolish the five-storey building, that housed an unauthorised leather goods factory on Kustia Road in Tiljala area within 24 hours, following a fire in the building that killed two people on Tuesday.
Soon after the order, bulldozers and earth movers were deployed at the site under heavy security provided by central paramilitary forces and Kolkata Police and the demolition had begun.
He further ordered the disconnection of power and water supply to all illegal buildings in Kolkata's Kasba, Tiljala, Iqbalpur and Mominpur areas. Incidentally, Muslims comprise the majority of the population in all these areas.
"Two men died and three others were injured in the fire. An inquiry found that the building was constructed without any sanctioned plan. Basic fire safety norms and electricity regulations were violated," the CM said at the state secretariat.
Police arrested the owners of the factory, Sheikh Nasir and Shamim Muhammad, on Wednesday.
Adhikari said the Goenka Group-owned CESC had been directed to identify all unauthorised buildings and factories in the four localities and disconnect their electricity supply. The KMC was instructed to cut water connections and immediately begin an audit of illegal structures. When civic officials reached the Tiljala site, they found that the affected building was connected to an adjacent structure constructed only a few inches away, allegedly in violation of building norms. Demolition of the neighbouring structure also began on Wednesday.
KMC commissioner Smita Pandey said, "We will not allow any unauthorised construction in Kolkata. We are going to take stern action as directed by the government." Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim said political blame games would not address the issue. "These buildings may have come up during the Left Front era or during the TMC government. That debate will not solve the problem. A fire safety audit has already been ordered and we are awaiting the report," he said....
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