KMC to request owners of old, dilapidated tenanted houses to repair structures from today

Come July 1, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will request owners of old and dangerous tenanted buildings to repair the structures failing which, the KMC will auction and rebuild them with proper rehabilitation of the tenants.

This is for time in the history of KMC when such a step has been taken.

A six-member committee chaired by the joint municipal commissioner has been set up for the purpose. The other members are director general town and planning, director general building (I and II), chief municipal law officer and two officials from the finance and audit department. The state Assembly had passed the Bill which was tabled by the state Urban Development minister Firhad hakim. The Bill had received unanimous support from the legislators. The idea is a brainchild of Mayor Sovan Chatterjee.

The step has been taken as old and dangerous buildings are posing a serious threat to the lives of people living in adjoining houses.

The borough executive engineers will spot the old dangerous tenanted buildings in their respective areas. The structures will then be examined by the committee members who in turn will take an opinion of the Civil Engineering department of Jadavpur University. The KMC will ask the owners to repair the houses, failing which, it will auction the building with proper rehabilitation of the tenants and the owners. The developer will get an additional FAR for rebuilding the old buildings.

Senior civic officials said there are many buildings in North and South Kolkata known as old Kolkata in KMC's parlance where there are hundreds of such old and dangerous tenanted buildings. In most of the buildings, the rent is as low as Rs 50 a month. In many cases, litigation is going on between the owners and the tenants and the tenants deposit the monthly rent to the Rent Control. Thus, it becomes impossible for the owners to repair them. The KMC had declared many buildings as "dangerous and condemned." But the people continue to stay in them risking their lives. There are many buildings where the owners could not be traced and the tenants are living without paying rent for the past several years.