Amend laws so that a structure can be pulled down within 15 days of being identified as illegal, mayor Firhad Hakim told officials of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Friday
Hakim said the existing system, where the owners of illegal buildings are given a chance to plead their case in a hearing, was very long.
By the time a demolition order came, many people might have started living in that building. It becomes difficult for the CMC to pull down such a structure, he said.
Hakim made these comments during the weekly phone-in programme Talk to Mayor when a caller complained about an illegal construction.
“Please see if the laws need to be changed. An illegal construction should be pulled down within 15 days after the CMC engineers identify such a structure,” Hakim said. “Sometimes it takes months for a demolition order to come after a hearing. By then many people start living in the house.”
CMC officials said when a building or portions of it are found to be illegal, the CMC issues a stop work notice. It also issues a notice to the owner of the structure to appear before a special officer — who is not a CMC employee. He or she decides whether the structure should be pulled down or not.
There is also a provision in the CMC Act that allows demolition without allowing a hearing. It is the discretion of the CMC whether to invite the person for a hearing or not. An official said usually constructions that have multiple violations are demolished without a hearing.
In October, the mayor said in the four years during which he has been taking calls at the Talk to Mayor programme, complaints against illegal buildings remained a permanent feature.