The Statesman                08.05.2013 

KMC offers 12% extra space incentive in College St Market to unwilling stall owners

KOLKATA, 8 MAY: As many as 58 stall owners of College Street Market, who were reluctant to shift to the first and second floors of the market, were today offered 12 per cent extra space free of cost by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). 

Member, mayor-in-council (market) Tarak Singh today arrived at this decision after a meeting with the representatives of the Bengal Shelter Housing Development Ltd and stall owners. Municipal Commissioner Mr Khalil Ahmed, joint municipal commissioner, director general of market and senior superintending engineers were also present at the meeting.   

The stall owners could not be accommodated on the ground floor as the total carpet area went down after the market was constructed.  

Out of a total of 968 stall owners on ground floor, 110 were rehabilitated in block A of the complex. The remaining 800 could be rehabilitated on the ground floor.

Mr Singh had asked the representative of the Bengal Shelter to hold a meeting with the stall owners to resolve the long-standing problem, which would lead to a solution if the unwilling stall owners, accepting the proposal, agree to shift to the first and second floors of the market.

Shop owners who had refused to move to the first floor are fruit, fish and vegetable sellers. They had refused to move anticipating loss. The total carpet area of the market was around 15,000 square meter before construction of the building.  

The trouble rehabilitating all shop owners on the ground floor began after the carpet area went down to 9,000 square meter after the construction of the building.

The construction of the market began in 2007 and was supposed to have been completed within 18 months.  Earlier, shopkeepers had rejected the rehabilitation package pointing out several discrepancies between the draft relocation plans and the actual ones.   

It may be recalled that the State Bank of India had taken legal possession of the market after Bengal Shelter failed to repay the loan and failed to complete the project on time.  

The shopkeepers said if steps to distribute the stalls do not take place now they will suffer during monsoon as the Marquis Square gets flooded during the rainy season.  

Markets are yet to be completed though construction of both began over a decade ago. The stall owners of these two markets alleged that their suffering has intensified  because of the lackadaisical attitude of the civic authorities.

The Times of India               07.05.2013

Lucknow Municipal Corporation mulls steep hike in rentals of old properties

The proposal might get a final nod in the executive body meeting to be held on Tuesday at LMC head office in Lalbagh.

The most-affected people would be the ones who are second-hand owners and took possession of these rented properties from the original owners without getting it officially registered with LMC.

Such unofficial transfers of rented properties on mutual basis without bringing it in the knowledge of the corporation is termed illegal as the secondary owners are liable to pay a one-time mutation fee depending on the type of the property and also relationship to the owner.

The proposal could give a major heartache to many such people who have been comfortably living in LMC properties by evading the mutation fee and nominal rent. The proposal, if passed, may give a major boost to the revenues of the otherwise cash-strapped corporation.

A similar proposal was initiated way back in 2001 where the LMC had proposed increment in the monthly rental value up to 40 times and also a standard amount as the mutation fee. The proposal had received much flak in the LMC House during that time as nobody was happy with the increased amount.

However, proposal to set the standard of mutation fee for different types of owners was approved and has been continuing since.

Now, LMC feels that since rentals have become sky high over past 12 years, the standard for mutation fee should also be revised accordingly (based on present DM circle rate which is revised every two years). LMC officials claim that the proposal would affect those people more who have not bothered to deposit the mutation fee till date.

As per 2001 policy, the blood relatives or legal heirs who have taken possession of rented properties from original owners are liable to pay between Rs 15,000-20,000 as mutation fee in case of residential properties. For commercial properties, they would pay Rs 60,000 for shops in prime locations like Hazratganj, Lalbagh, Aminabad, Kaiserbagh, Charbagh etc., while Rs 40,000 for other areas.

Similarly, occupiers other than legal heirs would have to pay Rs 30,000-40,000 for residential properties and Rs 1,20,000 for commercial properties in the above mentioned prime locations, while Rs 80,000 for shops in other areas.

Officials claim that it is the illegal occupiers who would be troubled the most as they have to pay a really hefty amount as compared to blood related kith and kin. As per LMC records, there would be more than 200 such properties.

LMC has maximum number of rented properties in areas like Aminabad, Mahanagar, Charbagh, Aishbagh, Kaiserbagh, Niralanagar etc.

The proposal, if passed, may increase the rentals of properties up to about 8-10 times which could enhance LMC's revenues manifolds.