Mistaken identity: Residents of Hatgachia gherao KMC survey team

Express news service Posted: Feb 13, 2008 at 0237 hrs
Kolkata, February 12 Residents of Hatgachia slum in east Kolkata gheraoed a Kolkata Municipal Corporation survey team for two hours this morning. Womenfolk of the area mistook them for members for an eviction team and stopped them from entering the slum.

The six-member team had gone there to conduct a ground survey for the first model housing complex in the city, scheduled to come up by the end of 2010. The KMC had announced the construction of 200 housing units in the first phase for the residents of Hatgachia bustee in October 2007. About 7,000 people reside in the area. Each housing unit will have a room, a kitchen and a bathroom.

The private survey team, inspecting the ground on behalf of the KMC, entered the slum this morning and interacted with the residents. They faced resistance only after the team started registering names of the local. The team had to return without completing the work. The survey will start afresh from February 20, said KMC sources.

The development work is supposed to be funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Rs 121 crore has been sanctioned for the project. Local CPM councillor, Laxmi Moni Banerjee, blamed the Opposition for the incident.