PWD directs signboard installation on its vacant lands by July 31

Kolkata: The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued directions for the installation of signage boards at all vacant lands of the department by July 31.

PWD is the custodian of the largest quantum of land among all state government departments as it is involved in the construction of different roads, bridges, stackyards, buildings and similar infrastructure for which huge amounts of land is required.

The department also kept some of these lands for utilisation in future for the department’s different activities.

“We have started installing signboards with the message that ‘This Land Belongs to PWD, Government of West Bengal’ to create awareness among different organisations and the general public. The signboard is being put up at every corner and in the middle of the lands,” a PWD official said.PWD secretary, Antara Acharya came out with a notification urging all chief engineers of the respective zone to take suitable measures for the installation of signboards at the vacant PWD lands.

On June 12, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee advocated zero-tolerance against encroachment of government land and directed the administration to take immediate measures to free such lands. She had sought a report from all government departments about the respective lands belonging to them. She ordered that if any land was found illegally occupied, the police should take strong action and return it to the respective departments.

The majority of the government departments have some amount of land under it but in a good number of cases, due to lack of surveillance, such lands are being grabbed.

It was learnt that the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) recently received complaints related to this land grabbing and in some cases, allegations have surfaced that the character of land has also been altered.