Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into Tripura House heritage tag downgrade – Times of India

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered a CBI probe into how Tripura House, an iconic grade-I heritage property at 59 Ballygunge Circular Road, was downgraded to grade-II and its gate, portico, fountain, driveway, garden were razed to allow construction of a high-rise, flouting heritage norms and disregarding objections of KMC heritage committee.
Directing the CBI to unearth the money trail involved in obtaining the approval of building plan by various authorities, including West Bengal Heritage Commission (WBHC), KMC buildings department and state fire & emergency services department, the court authorised the CBI to look into original records and documents pertaining to sanction of building plan by KMC. The report has to be submitted in a sealed cover before the court’s registrar general within June 20.
While restraining from ordering the demolition of the building on grounds that it may cause harm to the heritage structure, the property owner and developer have been asked to cough up Rs 22 crore each by June 15. The corpus will be used for long-term plantation drives in the city and the Sunderbans.
“The manner in which the building rules are flouted with impunity at the instance of the people in position and power with the aid, assistance and connivance of builders, promoters and developers is a matter of concern…,” Justice Amrita Sinha observed in the judgment.
In the order, Justice Sinha was particularly critical of the role of WBHC and the then mayor of KMC. “A decision which is required to be taken collectively by a statutory body of 21 members was in fact taken by only two members in great haste without waiting for the formation of the commission, even after an expert body – heritage conservation committee of KMC – flatly refused to entertain the prayer of the owner to permit construction… The mayor of KMC ought not to have been a party to the proposal approving construction as the expert body of KMC with regard to heritage structures rejected the same proposal on an earlier occasion,” the judge held.
Artist Suvaprasanna, the chairman of WBHC, said the project had been approved by him along with the mayor of KMC and Howrah Municipal Corporation as the plan was at least 100 metres away from the heritage structure.
A civic official said the KMC brass had passed a resolution in MiC meeting in 2017 to approve building plans. The meeting also downgraded the heritage status. Following the court order, KMC is reviewing all documents pertaining to the premises. Calls to ex-mayor Sovan Chatterjee remained unanswered.
Atish Ghosh, advocate on record for writ petitioners Shiromani Flat Owners Association, said: “The construction in question is totally illegal as Tripura House is a grade I heritage property.”