KOLKATA: Residents across Kolkata undertaking repairs or painting of their houses, flats or business establishments have welcomed mayor Firhad Hakim’s assurance that action would be taken against those who are harassing citizens by asking them to seek permission for such regular and routine work.
According to Amitava Bose, a resident of an upscale south Kolkata neighbourhood, he decided to paint the exterior of his three-storey building a few months ago and hired labourers to set up a scaffolding. At this point, some youths hanging around the local councillor turned up at his doorstep and wanted to see the KMC permission for such work. When Bose couldn’t show it, they demanded money. Out of frustration, Bose chose to suspend the paint work.
“I was shocked that someone could ask for money for a simple paint work. I decided not to give in and chose to keep the work suspended,” said Bose.
Similarly, Vineet Goyal, a resident of a central Kolkata neighbourhood, was asked to pay cash when he engaged a mason for a minor repair of the damaged roof of his three-storey building. “I had no option but to undertake a minor repair of the roof to prevent water seepage. But some local toughs known to be the councillor’s men asked for money. When I took up the matter with the local police station, the matter turned worse. Then I decided to manage with the damaged roof as I couldn’t afford to pay,” said Goyal.
Owners of the city’s commercial establishments, too, are likely to benefit from the mayor’s assurance. According to a south Kolkata-based businessman who runs a food chain, every time he wanted to give a facelift to one of his restaurants in Ballygunge — either by undertaking necessary repair work or painting the exterior — he was asked to pay.
“Now I hope I won’t have such trouble in future as the assurance has come from the mayor himself,” he said.
After the mayor broke his silence on Saturday about such the issue after receiving a call from a south Kolkata resident facing trouble in undertaking minor repair of his residence, a section of officials in the mayor’s office conceded that they had been receiving such complaints regularly.
“We receive regular complaints from residents from across the city who don’t want to pay for such lawful activities. We refer such cases to the highest level of the administration,” said an official.
