Civic body comes up with building for slum dwellers

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has come up with a five storied building at Canal Road near Tollygunge Phari for rehabilitation of 24 families residing in a slum which had posed a hindrance in the widening of Canal Road.

The encroachment at Canal Road needed to be cleared to make way for an alternative way to reach Prince Anwar Shah Road from BL Saha Road via Canal Road to avoid congestion at Tollygunge Circular Road.

"The slum dwellers will now be able to live in a healthy manner at the five storied building. The encroachment have been cleared and the congested area now has got a smart look," said Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrators, KMC after inaugurating the G+4 building in ward 117.

The building has come up on the land that belonged to a state owned liquor company that had closed down many years back. The KMC has taken up the land through proper procedure for executing the project.

Similar schemes under the state government's Banglar Bari project is implemented in other places in the city too.

Hakim at the inaugural programme came down heavily upon a section of environmentalist accusing them of obstructing development raising environmental concerns. "There is a section of people who are trying to mislead the green bench by providing false information. They have even opposed construction of bridge over Tolly Nullah for facilitating the flow of traffic claiming that the flow of water will be disturbed. However RITES had made it clear that nothing of that sort will happen," alleged Hakim.

He maintained that KMC has taken several projects for beautification of Tolly Nullah.