Fire safety violations: 919 Kolkata hotels, guest houses served temporary closure notices

A large-scale fire safety crackdown in Kolkata has resulted in temporary closure notices being served on 919 hotels and guest houses after they were found to be non-compliant with mandatory fire safety norms, news agency PTI reported.

The action followed joint inspections carried out by the state fire services department, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Kolkata Police. Of the 960 establishments inspected so far, only 41 were found to be compliant with the prescribed fire safety requirements, according to officials.

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The inspection drive was stepped up following the deadly fire at Shikha Inn, a guest house on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, on August 19. Nine people, including seven Bangladeshi nationals, were killed in the blaze.

Officials said establishments that have been served closure notices will first have to upgrade their fire safety arrangements in accordance with the prescribed norms. They will also have to obtain a Renewal of Fire Safety Certificate (RFSC) before applying afresh for licences to restart their operations.

The joint inspection teams have so far covered around 960 hotels and guest houses, which is nearly one-fourth of the approximately 3,700 such establishments operating in Kolkata. Officials said inspections would continue at the remaining hotels and guest houses across the city.

Separately, the state fire and emergency services department last week ordered the immediate evacuation of the basement as well as the sixth and seventh floors of a commercial building on Camac Street.

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The building houses the office of Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The department issued the order after an inspection conducted on August 31 and declared the two upper floors "unsafe from a fire and life-safety point of view", officials said.

The TMC has challenged the evacuation order in the Calcutta High Court. The court has granted the party leave to file an urgent writ petition, and the matter is likely to be heard later this week.

The latest inspection figures highlight the scale of fire safety violations among Kolkata's hotels and guest houses, with officials stressing that establishments will have to meet mandatory safety requirements before being allowed to resume operations.