Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya’s promise of taking “stern action” against illegal buildings rings hollow against the backdrop of the civic body’s performance in razing such buildings.

Of the 2.5 lakh-plus illegal structures, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) could demolish only 100 in 2005-2006, mayoral council member (building) Dipankar Das said in the civic house on Wednesday. Demolition orders are pending against another 123.

The same session saw the mayor promising “stern action” against such structures, in reply to a question from leader of the Opposition Javed Ahmed Khan.

A former city architect who did not want to be named said illegal structures come up in “full knowledge” of the local councillors. “These 2.5 lakh structures have not come up overnight. But how many complaints had the building department received over the past 20-25 years? Not more than 400.”

Khan submitted a list of illegal buildings that have come up despite stop-work notices issued by the CMC. The authorities had slapped a penalty, but the owners of the buildings did not pay up.