Kolkata: In the wake of the Tiljala factory fire incident that claimed two lives last week, the urban development and municipal affairs department has directed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and all other municipal corporations and municipalities to rigorously enforce legal provisions concerning unauthorised construction.
Minister's Directive
Municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul stated, "I have instructed my department to send letters to all municipal body areas where illegal houses and buildings exist. We are dispatching letters to the civic bodies and requesting them to provide a written account of how many such illegal buildings are present, the reasons for their construction, and the measures taken to halt their construction."
Reporting and Action Required
The department has mandated that local bodies prepare a comprehensive report on all unauthorised constructions identified within their jurisdictions. This report, along with details of actions taken, must be submitted within a fortnight. Additionally, civic bodies have been directed to issue notices to violators and serve stop-work orders immediately.
Legal Framework and Penalties
In its official order, the department noted that it frequently receives petitions regarding illegal constructions. It has urged local bodies to take cognizance of such reports and, upon identifying unauthorised structures under various provisions of the municipal act and the KMC act, to issue notices and pursue legal action. The order emphasises that deviations from approved building plans for residential buildings are not permitted. Before issuing mutation certificates, authorities must verify the sanctioned building plan and completion certificate.
The order further reminds that violators of building rules may face imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of Rs 50,000. Minister Paul also mentioned that the department will scrutinise all cases, and buildings lacking no-objection certificates (NOC) due to minor deviations in building plans may be allowed to rectify the issue.
