KOLKATA: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has issued stop operation notices to the owners of 37 residential buildings in New Town for illegally operating hotels and guest houses without the required permissions.
According to the list of buildings receiving these notices, 19 are situated in various blocks of New Town Action Area I, while 18 are in Action Area II.
Officials reported that these residential premises were functioning as guest houses, hotels, and banquet halls without the necessary approvals from relevant authorities.
“These operations violate a notification from the state urban development department issued in 2015, which allows limited non-residential use of residential premises only with prior approval and compliance with the relevant norms. The involved parties have been ordered to immediately cease all unauthorized guest house, fab hotel, and banquet activities until further notice. This measure is particularly taken for disaster management regarding fire safety,” the notice stated.
Since the beginning of this year, authorities have consistently surveyed to identify residential buildings being used for unauthorized commercial activities. Previous notices have also been served to 11 ceremonial houses found operating without the requisite permissions.
Additionally, three nursing homes were issued stop operation notices for functioning illegally from residential properties without valid permissions. In recent weeks, NKDA has also notified the owners of 13 residential buildings to cease their unauthorized commercial use.
“Many of these establishments posed significant fire hazards and lacked necessary approvals from NKDA. In several cases, building plans were deviated from the approved designs. Owners have been instructed to refrain from any non-residential activities in these residential buildings,” said an NKDA official.
Given the multiple violations noted in various residential buildings used for commercial purposes, NKDA is now providing provisional no-objection certificates to parties interested in partially using a residential building for commercial activities. These individuals or companies may operate for a five-year term after receiving final approval from the authorities.
