NKDA notice to owners of 12 ceremonial houses, no more fresh bookings allowance
Telegraph | 1 April 2025
Owners of 12 residential properties in New Town that were being used as ceremonial houses without authorisation have been issued notices to stop taking fresh bookings by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), an official said.
All the houses — mostly in the Action Area I, including in AB, BA and AL blocks — were fully or partially converted to be used as venues to hold ceremonies, said an official.
"We have identified 12 properties that were being used as ceremonial houses, though these were built as residential properties, and served notices," said an NKDA official.
NKDA officials said ceremonial houses have large gatherings of people. A large number of cars are expected to be parked around these houses on the day of the occasion.
"We are also worried that the lanes and roads around the ceremonial houses may get clogged because of a sudden spike in the number of cars parked along the roads on a day when it is booked," said the official.
"We issue permission to a ceremonial house depending on its location. If it is in a fully residential neighbourhood, we can deny the permission," said the official.
The NKDA had conducted a survey recently based on a tip-off, during which these 12 properties were identified. Simultaneously, there were a couple of complaints from the residents living around these houses.
An NKDA official said rules allowed a property initially built as a residential one to be used for commercial purposes, but only up to an extent.
"We allow up to 40 per cent conversion. Some of these houses have also exceeded that limit. But the more important thing is they were being used as ceremonial houses without any valid permit from the NKDA," added the official.