The Trinamul-ruled civic board in Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) demolished an old building at Shivaji Road in ward number eight of Siliguri on Thursday.

Sources in SMC said the building was around 70 years old and was in a precarious state. A portion of it was also built illegally, sources said.

Over the past few months, people residing near the two-storied building had appealed to the civic body to take appropriate steps as they were apprehensive that it might collapse on any day.

“After receiving complaints from the neighbours, we have served three notices to the building’s owner and asked him to demolish the building, especially the portions which illegally constructed. As he didn’t act, we demolished the entire structure today,” said an official of the civic body.

He mentioned that since March 2023 and till August this year, SMC had identified over 400 cases of illegal construction and more than 200 such structures have been dismantled so far.

Recently, the SMC had pulled down many illegal structures in the city. The drive was launched after chief minister Mamata Banerjee instructed civic bodies to launch a crackdown on illegal structures.

Shopping arena

The board of administrators (BoA) of Kurseong Municipality will build a new shopping complex at Hat Bazar, the principal market of the hill town with financial assistance from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Brigen Gurung, chairman of the BoA, laid the foundation of the project on Thursday.

Subhash Pradhan, the vice-chairman of the BoA, said it will be a four-storied building with a total area of 4,632 square feet.

“The construction division of GTA will carry out its construction work and is targeted to be completed as early as possible. Stalls would be distributed among traders and priority would be given to those who are doing their business on pavements,”
said Pradhan.

A sum of ₹2.49 crores will be spent on the project.