KMC to move HC to acquire Naktala land

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will appeal before the High Court to acquire the disputed land in Naktala to set up development projects.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee on Monday discussed the matter with senior law officers of KMC, who in turn will take up the matter with the state advocate general Jayanta Mitra on Tuesday.

The High Court had instructed the Kolkata Police to help the owner of the plot to take its possession in December last year.  But the police could not do anything as the president of a local club who happens to be the husband of the Trinamool Congress councilor of ward 100 threatened to commit suicide if attempts were taken to acquire the land. The police commissioner, who was present there, remained a silent spectator.

Later, the High Court rebuffed him and observed that if required Army would be deployed to make the land encroachment free.

The state government in 1971 acquired 39 cottahs of land to set up a pumping station to resolve the drinking water crisis of the area. 

In the past 45 years, a pump has come up on 4 cottah of land and on the remaining part  a local club and an office  of the  local Trinamool councilor.

A senior civic official said that all the legal implications  were being studied and  after consulting the advocate general, the KMC might appeal to the High Court to acquire the land and  use it for  various projects.