Bowbazar despair: KMRCL not to give compensation against faulty applications

Kolkata: Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL), the implementing agency of East-West Metro project, will not compensate the families in Bowbazar whose applications are found faulty. The KMRCL received 230 applications claiming compensation.

"We have given Rs 5 lakh compensation to 198 families," said KMRCL chief engineer (civil) Biswanath Dewanjee.

To avail the compensation, the applicant need to submit the form, residential proof and bank account details at the control room formed by KMRCL, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Kolkata Police at Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration.

The application form and other details were scrutinised by the local councilor and Kolkata Police. After getting the approval from the local councilor and Kolkata Police, the compensation was given to the families by the KMRCL. The KMRCL officials conducted a meeting at the control room on Monday. It was decided that no fresh applications for compensation will be received by the KMRCL.

While several houses at Durga Pithuri Lane and Syakra Para Lane were

partially or wholly-collapsed, an expert team recently submitted its first report on the condition of the buildings in Bowbazar.

The report, submitted by the expert team to KMRCL, identified 27 buildings that were beyond repairs and needed to be razed. While the team examined 70 buildings and submitted a report on 54 houses, the buildings in the area had developed structural damage following subsidence on August 31. Out of these 54 houses, 27 needed to be demolished. More than 600 residents living at Durga Pithuri Lane, Syakra Para Lane and Gour De Lane were evacuated. They were shifted to hotels across the city.