KOLKATA: America’s president-elect Donald Trump’s try with courts in the US ended for now as a US Department of Justice policy prohibits prosecuting a President while in office. But in Kolkata, a Trump property went to court to contest claims of property tax dues made by the civic administration and the latter’s refusal to provide a drainage connection, which is threatening to further delay the project delivery that is already behind schedule.

According to those in the know, while work is underway on the fitments and interiors at the 39-storey Trump Tower near Science City, its developers Tribeca, Unimark and RDB, which formed the consortium Concast Infrastructure Pvt Ltd for the project, are engaged in a legal tangle with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The developers are challenging the civic body’s demand of Rs 14-crore unpaid dues in court. The consortium also alleged that despite payment of requisite fees, KMC has not provided a drainage connection, an absolute necessity for the completion of the project and handover to flat owners.
Officially, the developers refused to comment, pointing out that not only was the matter sub-judice, but the advisors to the US President-elect also asked them to stay mum as the project carried Trump’s name.
The shimmering glass building at Science City, carrying the Trump brand, has 137 apartments, each spread across 2,081 sq ft to 2,704 sq ft. The units are priced between Rs 3.7 crore and Rs 7 crore. The building, constructed over a 30-cottah plot, has a built-up area of ​​3.8 lakh sq ft.
According to a KMC official, the civic body refused to revalidate the building plan. Schedule 1 of the KMC Buildings Rule allows civic authorities to refuse revalidation of a housing project if the developers fail to clear property tax dues. The KMC also refused to grant drainage connections, citing the tax dues. “Even though the developers deposited drainage development fees, we can’t grant them drainage connections till the unpaid property tax is cleared. We took up the matter with the civic brass and acted accordingly,” said the civic official.
According to a KMC assessment department official, the civic body is owed Rs 13 crore as property tax from the under-construction property. “We raised a bill of Rs 14 crore to be paid by the construction group. We calculated the dues after charging interest and penalty on the principal amount,” said the civic official.
Responding to a query from state advocate-general Kishor Dutta on the refusal, the civic body clarified that unless property tax dues were cleared, the next step could not be taken. “We have no option but to keep the matter suspended till we sit and find a solution,” said a civic official.
Officials in the consortium developing the project refused to comment, but one of them said the Trump Tower in Kolkata was a prestigious development and the developers were committed to completing the project and handing over the units to buyers at the earliest. “Currently, fitments are underway, and the project is at an advanced stage of completion,” he said.
The project was initially scheduled to be completed by Sept 2023. The developers since sought a year’s extension from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. That deadline also lapsed around two-and-a-half months ago.