1 week ago
Free School Street Fire Exposes Illegal Hotel Building Conversions
A hotel fire on Free School Street killed nine people.
After the fire, officials inspected other hotels and guest houses in Kolkata.
They found that many were officially registered as homes, not hotels.
Some had received trade licences even though their building plans still described them as residential.
Officials said many buildings did not have the fire-safety equipment required for hotels.
The KMC has issued closure notices to 193 hotels and guest houses.
About 4,000 commercial properties may be audited.
The owner of Shikha Inn was sent to police custody for 12 days while the investigation continues.
Kolkata inspections found many hotels and guest houses operating from buildings approved only for residential use.
Most inspected establishments reportedly lacked required fire-safety systems and equipment.
Officials said poor coordination allowed one KMC department to issue trade licences despite residential building approvals.
The KMC had served closure notices on 193 hotels and guest houses by Saturday.
The inspections followed the Shikha Inn fire that killed nine boarders; its owner was remanded in custody for 12 days.
- Who
- Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the fire directorate, CESC, and Kolkata Police are inspecting hotels and guest houses; Shikha Inn owner Bireswar Mitra was arrested.
- What
- Authorities found many hotels and guest houses operating in buildings approved as residential premises and lacking required safety measures.
- Where
- Free School Street and other parts of central Kolkata, including Marquis Street.
- When
- Inspections were under way on Sunday after the fire on Wednesday; the KMC’s preliminary report was due Tuesday.
- Why
- The inspections were launched after a fire at Shikha Inn killed nine boarders and raised concerns about building approvals and fire safety.
Key facts
- Deaths in Shikha Inn fire
- Nine boarders were killed.
- Closure notices
- The KMC had served notices on 193 hotels and guest houses by Saturday.
- Planned audits
- About 4,000 commercial establishments may be audited.
- Inspected establishments
- One inspection team visited 25 hotels and guest houses by Sunday and served closure notices to all of them.
- Building-status issue
- Many establishments had KMC-approved residential plans but operated as hotels or guest houses.
- Trade-licence process
- An official said certificates of enlistment are issued from online applications without a prior inspection.
- Police custody
- Shikha Inn owner Bireswar Mitra was remanded for 12 days.
Quotes
A KMC inspection-team official
Kolkata Municipal Corporation official participating in inspections in central Calcutta
“I am part of a team that visited 25 hotels and guest houses till Sunday. Our team served closure notices on all the establishments. All of them have an approved plan from the KMC showing they are residential buildings, but each one of them was operating as hotels and guest houses.”
telegraphindia.com
“To convert a residential building to another use, permission from KMC’s building department is necessary. A guest house or hotel is subject to requirements that differ from, and are often more stringent than, those applicable to a residential building.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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