Kolkata, May 13 (PTI) Bulldozers rolled into Kolkata’s Tiljala on Wednesday as the West Bengal government launched a demolition drive against illegal structures following the factory fire that killed two persons, marking the beginning of an aggressive crackdown on unauthorised establishments.
The action began hours after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a “zero-tolerance” policy against illegal factories and ordered the disconnection of power and water supply to units operating without sanctioned building plans.
Heavy earthmovers, accompanied by civic officials and police personnel, were deployed in Tiljala to demolish the building where the illegal leather factory gutted in Tuesday’s blaze was operating, officials said.
Authorities said the adjacent building where the factory owner resides would also be demolished as part of the drive against illegal constructions in the area.
According to officials, one person was arrested for preventing civic staff from carrying out the demolition.
Earlier, addressing reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna after reviewing findings of a four-member probe committee, Adhikari said the gutted factory was operating illegally and lacked mandatory fire and electrical safety measures.
“We formed a team comprising four departments and sought a report. It found the structure was illegal, there was no sanctioned building plan, and basic norms related to fire safety and electricity were not followed. It was completely illegal,” he said.
The chief minister said the state government had directed power utility CESC to conduct an internal audit of similar establishments, particularly in Tiljala, Kasba, Mominpur and Ekbalpur, and permanently disconnect electricity supply to factories functioning without approved building plans.
“We have asked for permanent disconnection and directed CESC to immediately disconnect power supply to illegal factories in Tiljala, Kasba and other areas which do not have approved building plans,” Adhikari said.
He also directed the urban development department and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to demolish the illegal structure within a day with assistance from the Kolkata Police.
“KMC has also been instructed to disconnect water supply to such dangerous and illegal factories. There will be zero tolerance against illegal activities and corruption,” he asserted.
The bulldozer-led demolition drive in Kolkata marked a departure from Bengal’s earlier approach to illegal constructions and drew parallels with similar crackdowns carried out in BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh, where bulldozers have become a visible symbol of enforcement against unauthorised structures.
Warning owners of unauthorised establishments of stringent action, the CM said, “We are issuing strict directions to people engaged in illegal activities to refrain from such practices.” The chief minister said the factory owner and another person have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Two people were killed and at least five others critically injured after a massive fire broke out at the building in Tiljala on Tuesday afternoon. PTI BSM MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.