Anindya Chatterjee, the arrested councillor of Ward 41, not only extorted money from people wanting to renovate or repair their houses but also allegedly extended illegal favours in exchange of money.
Picture by Bishwarup Dutta
According to locals, Chatterjee had allegedly “let out” a 200 sq ft shop in AB AC Market.
According to a source in the market committee, the shop was reported to be “handed over” to Sahoo in exchange of an annual payment of Rs 1.5 lakh to Chatterjee.
Corporation sources confirmed that the shop’s allotment was blank in their records.
Ajay Sahoo, the “owner” of the shop which sells jars of packaged drinking water, could not provide any official document issued by the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, like the shop’s allotment letter, when The Telegraph Salt Lake visited the shop on Wednesday, a day after he was arrested.
“The councillor had asked me to conduct business fearlessly. He knew me as I used to supply water to all Trinamul functions held in the ward,” Sahoo told The Telegraph Salt Lake.
The jars not only lie stacked inside the shop but are also take up a large portion of the pavement outside the market. The shop is located next to the gate of AB-AC Park that opens towards the market.
On being asked where he lived, Sahoo slunk away, saying that he did not want to answer any more questions.
Another man who allegedly took favours from Chatterjee is Tapan Kumar Deb, who runs a decorator’s business from BD Market.
According to him, Chatterjee asked him to provide chairs and build ‘stages’ free whenever street corner meetings or small programmes were held in the ward.
“Chatterjee told me that I could use a vacant plot at BD 412 to keep my stock of bamboo poles. I am quite close to the councillor and hence he did not take any money from me,” said Deb.
Residents of AB Block also alleged that Chatterjee allowed the owner of AB 112 to start building an illegal third floor without informing the corporation.
According to the rulebook, addition of a floor in Salt Lake requires permission from the corporation and the building plan too needs to be submitted.
On Wednesday, The Telegraph Salt Lake found stone chips piled outside the two-storeyed house.
An under-construction third floor was also visible.
According to the caretaker of the house, construction had come to a halt once Chatterjee was arrested.
“We stopped work after the councillor was arrested,” the caretaker said.
According to a resident of the block, Chatterjee had allegedly taken Rs 5 lakh for turning a blind eye to the illegal construction.
