The Hindu : National : Minister, realtor in a fracas

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Monday, Jun 27, 2011
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National

Minister, realtor in a fracas

Special Correspondent

Over illegal constructions in Kolkata's Tiljala area

Promoter said Minister too was behind the illegal constructions
Police had to intervene to prevent situation from going untoward

KOLKATA: West Bengal Minister for Disaster Management Javed Khan almost came to blows with a real estate promoter in the Tiljala area here on Sunday following an altercation over allegations of mushrooming of illegal buildings there.

The police had to intervene to prevent the situation from turning into a free-for-all.

Injured workers

Mr. Khan, who is also the local MLA, had gone to enquire about an incident in which two workers were injured after a fall from a multi-storey building under construction. They were admitted to a hospital.

He alleged that several of the buildings in the area, including the one in which the accident occurred, were unauthorised and had informed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to arrange for pulling them down.

“Illegal constructions”

“I will personally talk to the KMC Mayor to initiate action to stop such illegal constructions in the area,” Mr. Khan told journalists.

But even as the Minister was making the charges, real estate promoter Chunnu Mia, reportedly responsible for the construction of the building in question, alleged that Mr. Khan too was behind the mushrooming of such illegal constructions.

Admitting that many of the local unemployed youth were behind such illegal constructions, the promoter said this had been going on for the past 15 years.

The charge led to a heated altercation between the Minister and the promoter, who had to be separated by others gathered there before blows could be exchanged.

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