KMC allots 112 cottah EKW plot to Shia community for graveyard

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Friday approved the proposal to allot 112 cottah of land under East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) for purposes of burial ground for the Shia community of Kolkata.

It was learnt that the KMC held an inspection at the Dhapa area by the side of Basanti Highway in search of land following an appeal from the Shia community of Kolkata to the Mayor for allotment of land in favour of them which can be used for graveyard purposes.

During the inspection, the civic body identified a land at the Koila Depot area which measures about 112 cottah. The area is under mouza-Dhapa and falls within the ambit of East Kolkata.

It also came to light that the area in question is often encroached by “unauthorised persons” and used for waste plastic godowns.

KMC often has to make frequent drives in that area to free the land as per order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) following guidelines of EKW. Mayor Firhad Hakim is learnt to have directed that the land in question be allotted in favour of the Shia community but it has to be specifically used for the purpose of burial ground.

As to the question of whether there is any precedent of such handover of land to a particular community for burial ground, it was learnt that earlier such type of allotment was proposed in favour of Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat Trust (Kolkata) and in that case, Ld. Chief Municipal Law Officer opined to declare the instant plot of land as new burial ground under Section 463 of KMC Act, 1980 and then give management control of the proposed burial ground to the Trust.

The present proposal in question was cleared by the civic body on Friday and according to it, the land can only be used as a burial ground without making any construction on it following the guidelines of EKW and Calcutta Burial Board Act 1889.