Illegal buildings: KMC forms panel for framing guidelines on demolition & retention

kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has formed a five-member committee which will come up with a specific guideline in connection with retention or demolition of illegal buildings in the city. The move comes in the wake of allegations of malpractice against a section of officials in the Building department when small buildings constructed illegally have been given demolition order while high-rises though illegal have not been pulled down.

The committee has Commissioner Binod Kumar and four members of the Board of Administrators- Debabrata Majumder, Debasish Kumar, Swapan Samaddar and Baishwanor Chatterjee.

"There are Building Rules related to demolition of illegal buildings on the basis of which the hearing officer delivers order related to retention or demolition. But there are no specific guidelines related to the same. This committee will come up with clear cut guidelines on this issue," Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrators KMC said.

A senior KMC official said that there have been instances when a section of officers in the building department have been bribed by promoters and had presented the case before the hearing officer in such a manner that he had not given razing orders for construction of extra floors illegally in multi storeyed buildings.

KMC in the recent past has regularised some buildings that have slightly deviated from the original plan against payment of charges after conducting special hearing.