KMC sets Wed deadline for illegal building notice hearings

Kolkata: The KMC has set a May 27 deadline to those slapped with fresh illegal building notices in past 24 hours.While six under-construction buildings faced demolition on Sunday, multiple structures in Tiljala, Beleghata and Kasba received KMC hearing notices, declaring them illegal. Some of the hearing notices were also issued to buildings already occupied by residents.Residents of such a building, Elite Primo, on G J Khan Road in Tiljala staged a protest, alleging the developer had deceived them by claiming the properties were authorised. Five buildings in Beleghata, including a restaurant, received a notice.The Tiljala-Topsia belt falls under the ‘Red Zone' of allegedly illegal buildings. Some other areas with a similar tag include Garden Reach-Metiabruz, Rajabazar, Burrabazar and places off EM Bypass. "Around 70% buildings have been constructed illegally in Tiljala-Topsia in the past two decades," a civic official said.KMC department officials are working overtime to prepare lists of illegal buildings that will soon be razed. According to a building department official, KMC authorities have asked the department to prepare a list and take note of the extent of deviations by promoters or owners while keeping the KMC in the dark. "We will send the list to the HQ," said an official.Ramu Yadav, a resident, said, "How can we know a building, where we have been living for 10 years, is illegal? If it is razed, where will we go? Some of us will show KMC officials the papers we got."