A Calcutta High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam directed police on Friday to set up special task forces (STFs) to assist civic bodies in demolishing unauthorised buildings.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by BJP leader Rakesh Singh. The chief justice said: “The Court cannot allow a rerun of the incident that recently took place at Garden Reach. According to the court, there must be special task forces with the police to assist corporations in demolishing unauthorised buildings.”

An illegal under-construction building collapsed in Garden Reach on March 17, killing 13 people. Several illegal buildings have been identified across the city following the collapse.

The division bench’s order on Friday was meant for Kolkata Police and the police elsewhere in the state.

“With the help of the task force, the civic authorities may vacate the unauthorised buildings by June 15,” the chief justice said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) counsel informed the bench that the KMC had issued notices to residents of at least ten unauthorised buildings.

“But the residents have been forcefully occupying the premises. As a result, the KMC cannot demolish the buildings,” the counsel said.

The chief justice then said that “such thing cannot be allowed to continue”.

The matter will come up for hearing again after a fortnight.