Kolkata, Aug 20: The government of West Bengal has commenced a survey to identify government-owned plots in wards 107, 108, and 109 of Kolkata as part of efforts to monetize unused government land for revenue generation.
In the first phase of the survey, five teams consisting of officials from the South 24-Parganas district administration, the state land and land reforms department, and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation are focusing on identifying government plots along the 11km stretch of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass from Chingrighata to the Bagha Jatin railway line.
During this initial phase, the survey was carried out in areas under the jurisdiction of the South 24-Parganas district administration. Signboards have been erected at locations where government plots have been identified. Some areas were found to be encroached upon. Decisions regarding these encroachments will be made by higher authorities after the reports are submitted to the Chief Minister by the end of this month, according to a senior official.
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The survey was initiated following complaints received by the Chief Minister’s office about the illegal occupation of vacant government land along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. This issue had raised concerns for the state land and land reforms department, which reports to the Chief Minister.
Sources indicate that Nabanna, the seat of the West Bengal government, has instructed the South 24-Parganas district administration to submit the survey report by August 26. The report is scheduled to be included in the agenda for the cabinet meeting in Nabanna on August 28.
During the survey, officials discovered several valuable plots already encroached upon, while others were deemed vulnerable to encroachment.
The government’s objective is to monetize plots with commercial value, as they can generate significant revenue at a time when the state is seeking funds for new projects. These plots have high commercial demand, making their protection essential, according to sources.
Plots identified as encroached or vulnerable include areas near Ruby Crossing, Peerless Hospital, and Metro Cash & Carry.
Tathagata Mukherjee, the Block Land and Land Reforms Officer (Calcutta), noted, “Today, we have identified 52 plots in the five police stations’ jurisdiction. These include 14 plots in Ward 107, 12 in Ward 108, and 26 plots in Ward 109. The CMC will soon erect permanent signage at these locations. Photographs with geographical data, details of latitude and longitude will be preserved as part of the land data bank.”
Officials involved in the survey expressed concern over a substantial amount of land being illegally occupied. Eviction was limited in most cases due to the influence of the occupants. The primary focus now is to prevent further encroachments, according to a senior official.
