Siliguri plans fine for dumping on roads

Asok Bhattacharya in Siliguri on Monday.   (Passang Yolmo)

TT, Siliguri: Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) will start imposing fines on residents of the city who will be found involved piling garbage and construction materials on streets and lanes of Siliguri.

Siliguri Mayor Asok Bhattacharya said on Tuesday the civic body will recruit and engage building inspectors and work assistants to monitor such violations and take necessary steps against the violators.

"We often find the streets and lanes in different wards occupied by wastes or building materials. We have decided to charge fine from the concerned people as they cannot simply block portions of the road in such manner. Our building inspector and work assistants will visit every ward and find out whether there had been such violations. Most of the roads in Siliguri are narrow and we want to keep those clear and not partially blocked with debris or construction materials. It also leads to congestion in such roads and also causes minor accidents," said the mayor.

SMC sources said that as per West Bengal Municipal Corporation Act 2006, a civic body can impose Rs 500 as fine on an offender involved in stacking garbage in streets or creates obstacles for free movement of traffic. The violator may also face three months imprisonment for such offence.

To ensure that the drive is carried out in a regular manner, the civic body will engage five building inspectors and similar number of work assistants.

"I have appealed to all the councillors to aware residents of their wards so that they abstain from such practices," added the mayor.

In another development, Bhattacharya has also issued an order to the commissioner of SMC, asking him to serve notices to all such people or enterprises, who have illegally occupied or have encroached government land in SMC area.

"If the concerned person fails to submit proper document to prove that he is the rightful possessor of the land, we will take legal steps against," he said.