KMRC to give compensation of Rs 5L to affected families: Hakim

Kolkata: The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) will provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh within 30 days to each of the affected family. Shop owners will also be duly compensated for loss of livelihood based on the size of their shops.

This was announced by Mayor Firhad Hakim after his visit to Bowbazar with Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi, Home Secretary BP Gopalika following a high-level meeting at Nabanna on Saturday late afternoon with KMRCL officials in which Chief Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee presided over virtually and gave necessary directions.

Expressing her concern over the incident, Banerjee instructed the Chief Secretary and Hakim to immediately conduct a field visit of the affected to take stock of the situation.

"As instructed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, we have held a ground visit and will be immediately setting up camps at the site which will be manned by KMRCL and local representatives, including MPs, MLAs, Councilors, Kolkata Police, KMC Officials etc who will cater to the problems of the affected people . In future, advance information should be shared by KMRCL with Kolkata Police and KMC before undertaking work in the area so that precautionary measures can be taken for safeguarding human life in advance. Sudden shifting of the residents at odd hours results in harassment for them," Hakim said at the site. .

About 180 persons were evacuated and shifted to hotels from Madan Dutta Lane and BB Ganguly Street in Bowbazar on Thursday night after cracks developed in some dozen houses arising out of subsidence due to metro construction work by KMRCL which is implementing the metro project from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V.

All these 28 families who have been shifted to hotels will be brought back or given alternate accommodation. KMRCL has promised to offer compensation of Rs 1 lakh for damages up to 100 square feet and Rs 5 lakh for damage to more than 100 square feet in case of shops.

It has been decided that if more cracks develop or more families / persons are found to be affected, similar process will be followed as being followed for the already identified families. The buildings/shops which cannot be repaired will be rebuilt by KMRCL.

According to Hakim, the Chief Minister has instructed that adequate care should be made for their food, health and other services. In case of students, patients and vulnerable persons, special care to be taken.

For 3 years after completion of work, KMRCL shall keep supervision and maintain the structure. Proper soil testing to be done by KMRCL over the area to prevent such incidents.

During the meeting at Nabanna, apart from Kolkata Mayor, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Kolkata Police Commissioner, Kolkata Commissioner KMC, senior KMRCL officials, including their MD and subject matter experts from Jadavpur University, were present.

KMRCL workers have been able to stop the water seepage by Friday night. However, the chemical grouting work is still going on.