Legacy derailed
With the West Bengal Transport Minister, Snehasish Chakraborty, announcing, in end-September, the virtual closure of trams, Kolkata’s heritage transport system is now facing an existential crisis.
The Calcutta High Court (HC) on Tuesday directed HIDCO and New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) to demolish party offices of ruling Trinamul Congress that have come up illegally on pavements and other vacant plots in the New Town area.
The single Bench of Justice Amrita Sinha today pulled up the NKDA for not taking strong action against the illegal party offices.
While hearing a petition filed in the HC against the illegal party offices encroaching footpaths and vacant lands in the New Town, Justice Sinha asked NKDA to demolish the structures soon. The HIDCO, NKDA and New Town police station have been asked to submit a status report on the matter to the court on 10 May.
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The party offices have come up on HIDCO land without any valid clearance from the NKDA. Justice Sinha sought clarification from the NKDA’s lawyer on how these structures come without approval from the development authority.
Justice Sinha has asked NKDA to submit photos of these offices to the court and identify how many of them are illegally built. She has directed the NKDA to demolish the illegal offices as soon as possible. New Town police has also been asked to be involved in the process of identifying illegal structures.
The next hearing will be held again on 10 May.
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