Tenants will have right to live in reconstructed buildings: Mayor

Kolkata: In a bid to prevent any mortality or grievous injury to tenants living in dangerous and dilapidated buildings in the city during the monsoon season, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will pull down these buildings guaranteeing the tenants that they will not be deprived of their right to live in them when it is newly constructed.

In cases where the tenants or occupiers have no option to relocate, the KMC will construct temporary structures for their lodging at the same place and will then pull down the building. The chances of collapse of dangerous and dilapidated buildings in the city go up during the rainy season.

When it rains, the rainwater is stored on the roof resulting in an increase in the weight of the building. The weak foundation is unable to bear the additional weight resulting in collapse and loss of lives.

"I have ordered an immediate review of the dangerous and dilapidated buildings. I want assistance of the councillors and within a week, we will have a list of all such buildings from the Building department and the councillors so that action can be taken at the earliest. We will guarantee that a single tenant will not lose his/her right to live in the building when the owner takes up its construction," Mayor Firhad Hakim said responding to a query from Congress councillor Prakash Upadhyay at the monthly meeting regarding the steps taken by the KMC to prevent any death or injury due to collapse of such buildings during monsoon. 22 people had died after portions of old buildings fell on them in 2017.

The KMC will give the tenants a certificate in writing assuring them that they will give sanction to the house owner for reconstructing the building only when he mentions the space for lodging the tenants in that building.

The tenants or occupants of a building hesitate to move out of a dangerous building when it is pulled down apprehending that they will lose their right to stay in the same building when the owner will reconstruct it.

The KMC had passed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill in the state Assembly in March 2017 that owners of dangerous and dilapidated buildings may apply to the KMC with rehabilitation package for the tenants.

In such cases, the civic body gives clearance to pull

down the old structure to make room for a new one with 100 percent additional FAR (Floor Area Ratio).