Kolkata, Sept. 2 -- The state government on Wednesday gave hotel and restaurant owners 30 days to apply for fire licences, warning that legal action would follow against establishments that fail to comply.
The move follows two recent fatal hotel fires - at Tarapith in Birbhum and on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata - which exposed serious fire-safety lapses and claimed several lives. Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul held a meeting with hotel and restaurant associations and other stakeholders to discuss the issue.
Paul said the government did not want to shut hotels and restaurants, which are important to tourism and the economy, but wanted to prevent a repeat of the Rampurhat and Free School Street tragedies. She said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was concerned over the incidents, prompting the UDMA, Tourism Department and Fire and Emergency Services to engage directly with the hospitality sector.
The government will give establishments an opportunity to regularise their fire-safety clearances during the 30-day window. Those continuing to operate without the required licences after the deadline will face action under the law, Paul said, stressing that the exercise was aimed at preventing another tragedy rather than disrupting the hospitality industry.
Paul also announced a mega cleanliness drive from September 3 to 5, with awareness campaigns planned in schools, colleges, residential complexes, homes, government offices, police stations and railway stations.
The initiative comes amid heightened attention to dengue following a review meeting chaired by the chief minister at Swasthya Bhawan on Tuesday with various government departments.
The health department has directed that fever camps be opened in areas with inadequate government health-centre coverage. The government is also taking steps to provide free testing through private laboratories as part of its dengue-control measures.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.