KOLKATA: The demolition drive by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to raze the newly constructed G+5 building on Christopher Road on Thursday was thwarted by the flat owners of the building who locked themselves inside by putting locks on the entrance collapsible gate and sealing the space for windows and doors with wooden planks.
The KMC buildings department decided to start the demolition of the under construction building from Thursday, reportedly after conducting a survey of both buildings that have been resting against one another. They advised sparing the old building and demolishing the new one instead, where flat owners are yet to shift.
“We will not vacate our homes until we get back the money we paid for the flats. I sold my wife’s jewellery and my life’s savings to buy this flat. The police and KMC knew this building was illegal. Why didn’t they stop it then? Now why will we suddenly move away and allow our home to be demolished? What will happen to our hard-earned money?” rued Baban Naskar, a private driver, who bought a 630 square-foot flat on the third floor of the building, paying Rs 18 lakh.
A team of police officers, KMC engineers, and civic demolition workers put up guard rails around the building and tried to strike a dialogue with the agitating flat owners, trying to convince them to come out of the building to facilitate the demolition work. However, the 20-odd labourers, armed with hammers, pneumatic drill machines, and ropes, spent more than six hours sitting on the field outside the building as the officials failed to convince the flat owners to come out of the building, whose rooms and floors are yet to be completed.
“We told the flat owners we were only complying with the KMC order, but they refused to listen. We had to call off the operation by evening,” said a KP officer posted there.
However, mayor Firhad Hakim on Thursday asked the KMC buildings department to carry on with the plans for the demolition. “As instructed by the civic brass, we will go again to the site tomorrow and start the demolition. If need be, we will seek more cops to ensure that the demolition work is completed without trouble,” said a KMC buildings department official.
