Calcutta HC orders immediate removal of TMC office, illegal structures on poached highway land

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court issued a directive for the immediate removal of all illegal structures, including a Trinamool party office, built on land acquired for the expansion of a national highway in North 24 Parganas. Justice Amrita Sinha ordered that the District Magistrate of the district take action within 12 weeks to remove the encroachments and return the land to its intended use for road development. This ruling came after a case was filed by a local resident whose property had been impacted by the illegal occupation of the land.

The complainant, a resident of Kakra Mouja in Basirhat, argued that land was originally taken by the Public Works Department (PWD) for a road widening project that would improve infrastructure in the area. However, the petitioner alleged that several unauthorized buildings, including commercial structures, had been constructed on this land. He claimed that the buildings obstructed access to his property and hindered the progress of the road expansion. Despite multiple requests to local authorities, the petitioner stated that no measures had been taken to remove the encroachments, prompting him to seek legal redress.

In response to the petition, the Basirhat Public Works Department submitted a detailed report to the High Court. The report confirmed that the land had been illegally occupied by multiple structures, including a Trinamool party office. It further revealed that the encroachments were obstructing the road widening project, thus blocking public access and affecting the development of essential infrastructure. The PWD report indicated that these unauthorized constructions were in violation of land-use regulations and had been built without proper approval.

Justice Sinha’s ruling emphasized the urgent need to remove the illegal structures in order to facilitate the road expansion. The court specifically directed the District Magistrate of North 24 Parganas to take immediate steps to evict all unauthorized occupants from the land. The Magistrate was given a clear 12-week deadline to ensure the removal of the structures, after which the land is to be restored for public use. The court also highlighted the significance of enforcing land-use laws and ensuring that public projects are not hindered by illegal encroachments.