The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has issued notices to properties linked to Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, including his well-known residence ‘Shantiniketan’ in Kalighat, triggering fresh political controversy in Bengal. The civic body has warned that any illegal construction must be demolished immediately or it will face bulldozer action from the authorities.
The move comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly declared that no unauthorized construction anywhere in the state would be spared. Bulldozer drives have already begun in several districts, and now the focus appears to have shifted to properties associated with senior TMC leaders.
One of the properties under scrutiny is the sprawling ‘Shantiniketan’ residence located on Harish Chatterjee Street, where Abhishek Banerjee lives with his family. Another property at 121 Kalighat Road has also received a civic notice. Though the Kalighat Road house is reportedly registered in the name of Abhishek’s mother, the property has allegedly been listed under Leaps and Bounds.
According to sources, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has sought detailed records related to the construction of both buildings. The notices reportedly ask whether the structures were built following proper municipal approvals and whether permission had been obtained for any additional construction carried out later.
Officials have reportedly made it clear that if any irregularity or unauthorized portion is detected, it must be demolished within seven days. Failing that, the civic body itself will carry out demolition proceedings.
The development has intensified political tensions in the state, especially because the notices involve one of the most prominent faces of the Trinamool Congress.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, however, distanced himself from the matter. Reacting to the controversy, he said, “I know nothing about it. Nobody has contacted me regarding any such notice.”
BJP MLA Tapas Roy seized on the Mayor’s remarks to attack the ruling party leadership. “Nobody listens to Firhad Hakim anymore. He is no longer being taken seriously, which is why he is unaware of these developments. But if such notices have indeed been issued, then it is the right step,” Roy said.
The civic notices have now added a new political dimension to Bengal’s ongoing crackdown on alleged illegal constructions, with attention firmly fixed on whether action will actually be taken against properties linked to top political figures.
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