State Government Announces Safety Audit of Under-Construction Structures in Kolkata

MP, June 25, 2026, Kolkata : In the wake of the Taratala warehouse shed collapse that left several people trapped and some dead, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced a temporary halt on construction work at a large number of under-construction buildings across the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area pending a detailed safety and compliance audit.

The Chief Minister said the decision would cover buildings whose plans had been sanctioned before the present BJP government assumed office.

Particular attention, he said, would be paid to commercial structures and buildings allegedly constructed after filling up water bodies.

According to Adhikari, construction activities at such sites will remain suspended till July 31.

A multi-department team comprising officials from the Public Works Department, Civil Defence, Fire Services and KMC will carry out spot inspections and verify sanctioned building plans, site conditions and structural compliance.

“If everything is found to be in order, construction work will be allowed to resume from August 1,” Adhikari said.

He clarified that emergency and essential works would not be covered by the suspension order.

He also added that the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has been advised to carry out such audits in other areas, such as Howrah.

Against this backdrop, KMC had earlier this month initiated an internal audit of building regularisation files.

According to civic sources, Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey has directed the Building Department to examine records and approval procedures relating to unauthorised constructions that were later regularised after payment of prescribed penalties.

Officials have been asked to scrutinise documents linked to such cases across Kolkata and assess whether the regularisation process complied with applicable rules and regulations.

The exercise is expected to provide a clearer picture of the number of unauthorised structures that subsequently obtained legal status in the city.

The development has drawn attention within political and administrative circles as the Building Department was under the direct charge of then-Mayor Firhad Hakim, amid longstanding allegations by opposition parties regarding illegal constructions and their regularisation.