Take stern step against illegal high-rises in the Hills: Hamro Party prez tells civic body

Ajay requests Darjeeling Municipality and the district administration to take stringent action against such construction

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 15 Sept 2022 | Darjeeling: Ajoy Edwards, GTA Sabhasad of Darjeeling Sadar 3 constituency and president, Hamro Party, has urged people to abstain from indulging in illegal constructions, specially high rises. 

He further requested the Darjeeling Municipality and the district administration to take stringent action against such constructions. 

"Five months have passed since the new board has taken charge of the Darjeeling Municipality. We urge them to take stringent action against illegal high rises. The stipulated height permissible in the Darjeeling Hills (owing to the Hills falling in the seismic zone 4) is 11.5m as per the West Bengal Municipal Act. 

Anything above that is forever illegal. The district administration should also intervene. They have powers to dismantle illegal buildings," stated Edwards. In the past, there have been instances of the district administration taking suo moto cognizance of high rises and the police sending out notices. In 2015 the district administration had sent out 5 such notices to high rise building, invoking Section 133 of the CrPC which empowers a magistrate to stop construction if the construction is a threat to human life. 

The magistrate has the power to dismantle a construction if necessary. 

Unbridled constructions have emerged as an eye sore in the Queen of the Hills. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee time and again has been directing the GTA and the Municipality to bring an end to this practice. Banerjee who frequents Darjeeling has been repeatedly complaining about this unchecked menace. 

Though Darjeeling has been a witness to frequent seismic activity coupled with landslides, illegal constructions continue unbridled in the Hills. Though the stipulated height of building is 11.5 m, most of the buildings have touched the 25m to 30m mark. Soil testing is unheard off and building rules are flouted rampantly. 

At present the Darjeeling Municipality is run by a Hamro Party Board. 

"The Municipality needs to take stringent steps, cancel trade licenses of all businesses housed in illegal constructions. The Labour department of the State Government can also keep tabs on businesses operating without a trade license, which is again illegal. The electricity department should not provide electricity connections to illegal high rises. 

The district administration should also keep a strong tab while the police department should provide logistic support to the Darjeeling Municipality to check this menace" stated Edwards. 

He stated that in a meeting with the Chief Minister and Darjeeling Municipality Chairman Ritesh Portel recently, the Chief Minister had appealed to check vertical growth, owing to frequent seismic activity. 

"She has instead insisted on a satellite township spread over 200 acres near Darjeeling," 

Courtesy & source- Millenium Posts (http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/take-stern-step-against-illegal-high-rises-in-the-hills-hamro-party-prez-tells-civic-body-492981)