In a significant escalation of the newly formed state government’s “zero-tolerance” policy toward illegal structures, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has issued formal demolition notices to 17 properties linked to Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The crackdown comes just weeks after a historic shift in Bengal’s political landscape. On Tuesday, KMC officials fanned out across South Kolkata, pasting notices under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act, 1980. The notices allege that portions of these buildings were constructed without approved building plans or in gross violation of existing sanctions.
Properties Under the Scanner
The list of properties includes high-profile addresses in the city’s most elite neighborhoods. Key locations include:
188A Harish Mukherjee Road: Known as ‘Shantiniketan,’ the primary residence of Abhishek Banerjee.
Kalighat Road & Harish Chatterjee Street: Several buildings linked to Banerjee’s parents and the family-owned firm, Leaps and Bounds Private Limited.
Panditiya Road & Ustad Aamir Khan Sarani: Residential and commercial complexes allegedly used for organizational work.
Officials have granted the owners a seven-day window to either self-demolish the unauthorized portions or provide “satisfactory cause” as to why the civic body should not deploy bulldozers. Failure to comply will result in KMC-led demolition, with the recovery costs billed directly to the owners.
Political Backdrop
The move follows a stern declaration by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who recently stated that the administration would target “illegal empires” built during the previous decade. Adhikari identified 24 properties allegedly tied to Banerjee—14 under his company, four in his name, and six in his father’s name—asserting that “law will take its own course.”
Banerjee Vows Legal Battle
Responding to the development during a meeting with party legislators, Abhishek Banerjee remained defiant. “Let them raze down my home; I will not bow down. This is nothing but political vendetta,” he stated. Banerjee has already moved the Calcutta High Court seeking an urgent stay on the KMC’s notices, arguing that the constructions are legally sound and the timing of the action is motivated by political malice.
As the seven-day deadline looms, all eyes are on the High Court to see if a stay will be granted or if the “bulldozer” era has officially arrived in Kolkata.