In a major administrative crackdown on illegal urban development, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) launched a large-scale demolition drive on Sunday, 24th May. The coordinated operations targeted several unauthorized multi-storey structures stretching across Tiljala, Kasba, and Beleghata. According to civic authorities, the enforcement action specifically targeted properties connected to prominent local political figures and strongmen, including Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons Faiz Ahmed Khan, Beleghata strongman Raju Naskar, and Kasba strongman Sona Pappu, who is currently being held in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody.

Senior civic officials noted that the regulatory momentum began a day earlier on Saturday, 23rd May. Following a formal assessment, a special hearing officer from the KMC Buildings Department issued an order for the complete demolition of several structures, stating that they had been built without proper approval and in violation of municipal rules.

Heavy Machinery and Police Deployment in Tiljala

To manage potential law and order challenges during the enforcement action, heavy police deployment was seen in multiple parts of the city as civic authorities arrived with bulldozers, payloaders, mechanised jackhammers, and gas cutters to pull down the structures. Despite the extensive equipment, engineering teams faced major difficulties while demolishing two seven-storey buildings on GJ Khan Road in Tiljala’s Ward 66 area.

According to civic officials, the twin high-rises posed severe environmental and safety hazards, having been constructed illegally on a filled-up water body and without approved building plans. Reflecting on the scale of the violation, a civic official remarked during the operation:

“We are surprised how a high-rise could be constructed without submitting plans and seeking approval.”

The two high-rise buildings in Tiljala are located near the Trinamool party office in Ward 66, represented by councillor Faiz Ahmed Khan, son of senior Trinamool MLA Javed Khan. Local residents claimed that marketing for the complex was already advanced, stating that flat bookings had already started in the buildings before the demolition drive began.

KMC officials clarified that the enforcement followed a legal process, stating that notices had earlier been issued to the promoters, including Ananta Singh and Gul Md, asking them to produce legal building documents. However, officials claimed no proper response was submitted within the deadline.

Reacting to the allegations, MLA Javed Khan sought to distance his family from the illegal projects, stating:

“The land where the buildings came up once belonged to my family. Over the years, encroachments and illegal constructions started there since the Left Front regime. We have no connection with these illegal constructions.”

Enforcement Widens Across Kasba and Beleghata

Simultaneously, the civic body expanded its operations to other sectors of the city. In Kasba, civic authorities demolished two under-construction buildings on BB Chatterjee Road and Bosepukur, which officials said were linked to Sona Pappu and his associates. Local residents reported that unauthorized construction had been a long-standing issue in the neighborhood, claiming illegal property activities had been openly taking place in the area for years.

Expressing the local anxiety that allowed these structures to multiply, one resident stated:

“One building after another kept coming up here. People were scared to speak because of the gang operating in the area.”

The sudden urgency behind the demolition drive comes shortly after a fire at an illegal factory in Tiljala claimed two lives, increasing pressure on authorities to act against unauthorised constructions across Kolkata.

The enforcement teams found similar structural violations in Beleghata, where two more under-construction buildings linked to local strongman Raju Naskar were demolished on East Coolia Road and nearby areas. Neighbors noted that rapid, unregulated development had obscured local property lines, with residents saying many buildings had come up in the locality over the last decade, making it difficult to identify which ones were legal.

Policy Accountability and High-Profile Scrutiny

State Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul visited the Kasba demolition site along with KMC Commissioner Smita Pandey to monitor the progress of the operation. Minister Paul strongly criticised the earlier civic administration over the rise of illegal constructions, pointing out systemic oversight failures.

“During the previous regime, corruption flourished unchecked. Illegal constructions came up with the knowledge of civic authorities and under the patronage of influential leaders in exchange for money,” she said.

The Minister emphasized that the state would enforce strict accountability across both administrative and political levels moving forward.

“Even if the police wanted to act, they could not do much. Strict action will be taken against all those involved in illegal constructions as well as those who facilitated such irregularities,” she added.

She also warned that strict action would be taken against developers, civic officials and anyone who ignored violations, explicitly clarifying that “Those responsible for allowing these irregularities will face action.”

This latest crackdown occurs amidst a broader administrative review of high-profile properties throughout the metropolitan area. The drive comes just days after KMC issued notices on 19th May, linked to unauthorised portions of over 15 properties associated with Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee. The notices have been issued under Section 400(1) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980 wherein the civic body has sought documents related to building plan approvals and clarification on whether permission was taken for additional construction.

For a closer look at the administrative actions and the political developments surrounding these building inspections in the city, you can watch this KMC Target Review. This broadcast provides direct visual context regarding the municipal notices issued under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act, 1980.