Notice, time relief? KMC mulls Abhishek options

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is still undecided on giving a 10-day breather that Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has sought to answer to the notices sent to properties linked to him, even as a debate continued within the civic body on whether KMC buildings department officials would issue prior notice before entering ‘Shantiniketan' and other prime properties to check deviations from sanctioned building plans, or visit and inspect without advance intimation.The civic body has launched parallel inquiries into 17 properties listed as owned or co-owned by Banerjee, his company or family members. While the civic assessment department is reviewing property tax dues linked to the properties purportedly linked to Banerjee, the buildings department is checking for irregularities or deviations from sanctioned plans. Officials said notices under Section 400 (1) of the KMC Act 1980 issued for deviations from the sanctioned plan were pasted on all 17 addresses. Of these properties, 14 are in the Kalighat-Bhowanipore belt, two in Panditiya Road and one in New Alipore area, a KMC official said.A KMC buildings department official said the decision to accept an appeal from Banerjee-appointed lawyer seeking a two-week breather was still pending with the municipal commissioner. "According to rules, we need to check any alterations from the sanctioned plan on the ground and based on our inspections we give notices to the errant owners of buildings. In this case, we have pasted notices on properties and asked the owner/owners to appear before the buildings department and submit necessary documents, drawings," the civic official said, stressing the need for an early inspection of prime residential properties where civic body officials suspected deviations took place. "We are authorized to visit any buildings and check whether illegal constructions have been done. We have heard that notices may be given to the owners before we decide to knock on the doors of Banerjee family's properties," a KMC buildings department official said.Municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul said alterations were found in Banerjee's properties for which permission was not sought. Trinamool issued a rebuttal to the reports, calling the campaign "false, fabricated and devoid of credibility".On the controversy relating to issuing notices against such prime residential properties, mayor Firhad Hakim said: "It is not a policy matter for us to decide whom the KMC buildings department issues notices to or under which sections. It is outside my jurisdiction. I have absolutely no knowledge about this issue." Hakim said when the building-collapse incident took place, elected representatives made policies and executive work was done under the commissioner, as per the KMC Act. "In day-to-day matters, such as issuing notices, stopping illegal buildings or granting building sanctions, elected representatives cannot be involved," he said.