No further construction shall be permitted in Central Park area: HC

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed that no further construction shall be permitted in the Central Park area in Salt Lake under the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The matter was heard by the Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya.

The Division Bench further directed the Commissioner of BMC to conduct an inspection of the Central Park area and prepare a map clearly indicating the number of permanent structures which have been put adjoining the park or within the area initially earmarked as a park.

The petitioner submitted that in terms of the Cabinet memo dated August 10, 1997 the central town park area is 153 acres. The BMC was directed to submit the map colour coding the various features of the Central Park area.

The petitioner submitted that 80 per cent of the park is already destroyed. The petitioner submitted that the international bus terminus in Karunamoyee is also within the Central Park area. The Chief Justice orally remarked that the bus terminus is important.

“Instead of keeping the writ petition pending, we can say that as of now since the construction has been put up and admittedly these constructions are for public interest. Therefore to direct for demolition will be inequitable,” Chief Justice observed, while adding that the court can then direct the authorities that no further construction shall be made in the area which has been earmarked as Central Park.