Tiljala Fire Fallout: Bengal Govt Turns Heat On TMC’s Illegal Construction Ecosystem
Tiljala Fire Fallout: Bengal Govt Turns Heat On TMC’s Illegal Construction Ecosystem Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: May 20, 2026, 08:51 IST The government
Tiljala Fire Fallout: Bengal Govt Turns Heat On TMC’s Illegal Construction Ecosystem Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: May 20, 2026, 08:51 IST The government has initiated inquiry into the properties owned by top TMC leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee's brothers Rapid Read West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. (File Photo: PTI) In barely 10 days, the BJP government in Bengal, under chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, has rolled out a series of politically and administratively significant decisions, starting from cancelling allowances for priests and Muslim clerics and ordering probes into alleged institutional corruption to handing over land to the BSF and initiating steps to curb illegal animal slaughter. Following the fire incident in Kolkata’s Tiljala area, the government is now preparing for what could become one of the most politically sensitive administrative crackdowns in the state—taking action against illegal constructions across municipal areas. The government has started reviewing data and documents across municipalities and has even initiated inquiry into the properties owned by the top leaders of Trinamool Congress, including the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, News18 has learnt.
A list of 17 properties in the name of Banerjee has been released. Sources further indicate that the properties of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s brothers and other relatives are also under scrutiny. For years, unauthorised or illegal constructions or extensions expanded unchecked across urban Bengal despite repeated disasters, civic complaints and fire safety concerns. Even the devastating Stephen Court fire on Park Street that killed at least 43 people failed to trigger sustained structural reforms or a serious state-wide enforcement mechanism. Illegal vertical extensions, encroachments and commercial operations inside residential buildings continued under the watch of municipal authorities. Tiljala Fire Triggers Statewide Civic Crackdown Push The recent Tiljala fire and subsequent bulldozer action by the new government appear to have altered the administration’s approach. Even though the high court stayed the demolition drive, the government is likely to appeal again. Meanwhile, sources in the government indicate that municipalities have now been informally asked to begin collecting detailed data on buildings lacking sanctioned extension permissions, fire clearances and occupancy compliance.
Notices are expected to follow in phases once the data compilation exercise is completed, added a source. The move is not merely being viewed as a demolition drive. Officials say the government wants to identify how illegal floors, rooftop additions and unsafe structures continued to receive utility access, trade permissions and civic protection despite blatant violations of rules. The central focus is particularly on densely populated municipal pockets where narrow access lanes and unregulated construction have turned fires into potential mass-casualty situations. Inside the administration, there is growing acknowledgment that illegal construction evolved into a well-entrenched ecosystem involving sections of local civic machinery, politically connected builders, developers, promoters and weak enforcement. In many cases, builders allegedly secured approval for a smaller sanctioned structure before gradually adding multiple unauthorised floors over time. Sources say the government is also considering creation of updated digital records of sanctioned plans, extension approvals and fire safety clearances to prevent any form of manipulation of municipal records. Civic bodies may be asked to conduct fresh physical verification of vulnerable structures, especially those operating commercial establishments without mandatory compliance.
The Tiljala bulldozer action is now being seen within government circles as more than a local response to a fire incident. It is emerging as a signal that the government may finally attempt to confront an issue that was avoided by successive regimes mounting urban risks. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 20, 2026, 08:51 IST News india Tiljala Fire Fallout: Bengal Govt Turns Heat On TMC’s Illegal Construction Ecosystem Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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