KMC has stepped up efforts to raze illegal structures with help of police: Mayor

Kolkata: In the wake of complaints against illegal constructions, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim assured that the civic body has already stepped up its efforts in demolishing illegal constructions while warning that no councillor should try to prevent the execution of a demolition order.

During the hearing of a case on Friday concerning an illegal construction, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, while addressing the counsel of the KMC, is learnt to have given a strong message where he is learnt to have remarked that if required, bulldozers should be hired from Yogi (Yogi Adityanath) to take down such structures. He said there should be no tolerance for thuggery and goons must be dealt with iron hands.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath is credited with having injected the “bulldozer” phrase into the political lexicon of that state, using it as a metaphor to rein in goons. Justice Gangopadhyay is understood to have made the reference in the same context as most of the illegal constructions are being allegedly made with the backing of goons.

He has further maintained that he understands that at times even if the KMC wants to take down such structures with the help of police, certain pressure on them prevents them from doing so.

Commenting on the issue, Firhad Hakim said the KMC has stepped up its efforts in pulling down unauthorised structures. He said the police are helping the KMC at every step. Commenting on the bulldozer remark, he said: “Demolition is carried out following a legal process. We cannot just randomly bulldoze anything. We first serve a ‘stop work’ to the builder of construction. If that does not deter them, then we take up the case for hearing and the matter is taken to the

tribunal where a demolition order is passed. If still

demolition is not carried out, we then take it to the high court.”

Commenting on the incident in ward 102 at Chittaranjan Colony in Baghajatin where the KMC demolition team, accompanied by police from Jadavpur police station, was stopped by the local councillor from pulling down an illegal three-storeyed structure, Hakim said: “No councillor has the right to prevent the execution of a demolition order. It is illegal for a councillor to do so. If a demolition order has been executed, then it has to be carried out.”