Committee Formed to Address Government Land Encroachment in Calcutta and Surrounding Areas

A high-level committee made up of top IAS and IPS personnel was established by the Mamata Banerjee government to investigate the issue of encroachment on government land in Calcutta and its surrounding districts and provide recommendations for how to release such parcels.

The issue of encroachment on government land in Calcutta and Bidhannagar will be examined by a committee made up of ADG (law and order) Manoj Verma, irrigation secretary Prabhat Mishra, finance secretary Manoj Panth, and city police commissioner Vineet Goyal. A top government official stated, "It will recommend actions on how encroached plots could be recovered and how further encroachment could be prevented."

In a Thursday meeting with state heads of seven municipal corporations and top government officials, the chief minister voiced her displeasure over encroachment on government land.

According to insiders, Mamata was upset for two reasons. First, Nabanna's intentions to monetize underutilized government plots have been thwarted by the encroachment on government territory. Second, the chief minister believed that city dwellers were experiencing issues as a result of encroachment, especially on the pathways in Calcutta and Bidhannagar.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling party was lagging behind the BJP in a number of localities in Calcutta and Bidhannagar. A source in Nabanna stated, "The results show a kind of growing discontent against the ruling party."

"In over 45 wards within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area, the ruling party was lagging behind its closest competitor, and in Bidhannagar, it was lagging behind the BJP by over 11,000 votes." The state minister chastised Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose and Calcutta mayor Firhad Hakim for their inability to curb encroachment. According to a source who attended the meeting on Thursday, the chief minister thinks that one of the issues that caused concern for the ruling party was encroachment.

He claims that Mamata Banerjee is equally incensed with tidings that the scheme to sell off government land could be derailed by encroachment.

A survey conducted by the land and land reforms department and the South 24-Parganas district administration found that multiple high rises had been built on a substantial portion of prime government property in KMC ward 109. According to sources, primary information from other districts also imply that over 50% of the government land that is underutilized and situated in desirable regions has been encroached upon.

"For this reason, the chief minister took the issue seriously. A top Nabanna official stated, "The committee, which is made up of the chief ministers' trusted officers, is expected to act quickly on the issue."

The administration has made the monetization of idle government property and buildings a top priority since the state is in a desperate attempt to increase money before the 2026 Assembly elections.

The chief minister is aware that programs such as Lakshmir Bhandar have helped her win seats in the Lok Sabha. It is anticipated that before to the 2026 Assembly elections, she will unveil further social programs and increase funding under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. According to a source, she therefore hopes to increase revenue by selling off government buildings and land.

According to a source, although the government is expecting the committee to provide results, it may not always be easy to live up to the expectations.

Removing encroachers is a delicate political matter, and the TMC has consistently refrained from taking such actions. In addition, the ruling party has promoted encroachment upon public property. What the group accomplishes in fulfilling its purpose will have to be seen, the insider added.