Properties linked to Trinamool All India General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee are under scrutiny, with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation sending notices to 17 addresses associated with the party’s second-in-command over alleged unauthorised construction.
In the notice issued under Section 400(1) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980, the Kolkata civic body has sought documents related to building plan approvals and clarification on whether permission was taken for additional construction. It has also asked for details regarding installations such as lifts and escalators.
The civic body has directed that unauthorised construction must be demolished within seven days, or the owners must show cause why action should not be taken. It has also warned that if no satisfactory response is received, the corporation will carry out demolition and recover the cost from the owners.
The notices cover multiple residential and organisational properties, including those linked to his parents and his company, Leaps and Bounds Private Limited. Key locations include Harish Mukherjee Road, Kalighat Road, Premendra Mitra Sarani, Panditiya Road, and Ustad Aamir Khan Sarani.
“You are hereby, required under Section 400(1) of The Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980, to demolish the deviated unauthorised parts of the building within 7 (seven) days from the date of service of the notice Premises No.1 88A, Harish Mukherjee Road: Ward 073: Br – IX or to Show Cause within a week from the date of service of this notice as to why such deviated unauthorised parts of the building as made in deviation from the sanction or approved plan at the above mentioned premises should not be demolished in violation of the conditions and in breach of the provision of The Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980.”
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation said it would demolish the illegal structures and recover the demolition costs from the owners.
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he had instructed officials to obtain property details of four Trinamool leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee.
“I had mentioned the names of four people to the municipal commissioner. One is Raju Naskar of Beleghata, who has 18 properties; Sona Pappu of Kasba, who has 24 properties; and then the nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. There are 14 properties registered in the name of the Leaps and Bounds company: four in his own name and six in his father’s name. And, Javed Khan’s son, who has 90 properties,” Adhikari said.
“Just as Shantanu Sinha Biswas and Sujit Basu were arrested, in future, the BJP will put all the corrupt people in jail through legal means,” he said, referring to the Kolkata police officer and former minister.
State Minister Dilip Ghosh also talked about illegal construction. “The municipality will look into the illegal ones and issue notices. Legal validity will have to be proven,” he added.