Mamata steps in, directs KMDA not to release remaining land to dubious realtor

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will most likely not give the balance 60 acres of land to United Success Enterprise (USE) owned by Prasoon Mukherjee after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took an exception and sent a strong note following a series of complaints that she has received in recent time against the group.

But, before this Mukherjee had bagged Rs 450 crore by leasing out several row house apartments and land.  Mukherjee who was very close to the former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and even had access to his house had bagged 390 acres of land for a mere Rs 99 crore to set up the Kolkata West International City in Howrah.

After the Left Front government lost power, Mukherjee tried to align himself with the state government through an IAS officer and a suspended Trinamool Congress MP. The owner of a city-based newspaper group along with a senior journalist tried to build Mukherjee’s image by planting stories in his favour, trying to project him as the biggest investor in West Bengal.

From the KWIC Mukherjee bagged Rs 325 crore. The construction of the row houses which began in 2006 is yet to be completed fetched him Rs 300 crore. The planned construction of the high-rises which had fetched him another Rs 25 crore is yet to take off. The foundation was constructed in 2010.

 The USE had entered an agreement with Drasthi Developers Private Limited on November 7, 2013 to lease out 30 acres of land and structure. To do this, USE covertly bypassed the original agreement with KMDA.  The original agreement said:  “The lessee shall not assign the lease or grant any sublease of any part of the demised land to any company for the purpose of development. Exception will be granted only with the prior approval of KMDA.”

The KMDA did not give him permission to sub-lease the land. Through the agreement USE got Rs 132 crore as fixed consideration leading Dristhi Developers to become a sub lessee.

In Madhumanjari, Mukherjee sold plots measuring 247 cottahs. Of these, 40 plots covered an area of 2.5 cottahs while another 49 plots covered an area of 3 cottahs. Each cottah was sold at Rs 10 lakh which earned him Rs 24 crore. 

Abhay Upadhyay, president, Kolkata West International  City Buyers Welfare Association said that he had sought  a meeting with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to explain to her how the buyers  had been cheated  by  Mukherjee. “Had this happened in any other country, Mukherjee would have been behind bars,” he said. Ratul Majumdar, a buyer of KWIC sought an inquiry into how KMDA had given Mukherjee approvals for various new projects when the very first project was incomplete.