1 hr ago
West Bengal Fire Department Orders Abhishek Banerjee Office Vacated
West Bengal’s fire department inspected a party office linked to Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata.
Officials said the office did not have enough fire-safety arrangements.
They also said its fire-safety certificate had expired.
The department ordered the office to be emptied immediately.
It said the office should not be used until the safety problems are fixed and a new certificate is obtained.
The office had already become controversial after officials removed an allegedly illegal billboard from the building.
Party activists and police reportedly clashed during that incident.
Abhishek Banerjee has not publicly responded to the vacating order, according to the report.
The West Bengal Fire Services Department ordered Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street party office to be vacated immediately.
Officials cited inadequate fire-safety measures and an expired Renewal of Fire Safety Certificate.
The department said Banerjee was responsible for maintaining safety measures and renewing the certificate under the lease.
Reports differ on the affected floors, identifying them as either the sixth and seventh or seventh and eighth floors.
The order follows disputes over an allegedly illegal billboard, clashes, police cases, and the arrest of 14 people.
- Who
- The West Bengal Fire Services Department and Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member.
- What
- The fire department ordered the vacation of Banerjee’s Camac Street party office because of alleged fire-safety violations and an expired certificate.
- Where
- At a Trinamool Congress office in a multi-storeyed building on Camac Street, Kolkata.
- When
- The order was issued on Friday after an inspection and a subsequent compliance hearing; the reports provide differing dates for related notices and incidents.
- Why
- Officials said required fire-safety measures were inadequate or not maintained and that the fire-safety certificate had not been renewed.
Key facts
- Office location
- 9 Camac Street, Kolkata
- Department action
- Immediate vacation of the office and prohibition on its use until safety measures are completed and certification is obtained
- Certificate status
- The Renewal of Fire Safety Certificate had expired after being valid from August 10, 2023, according to the reports
- Responsibility
- The fire department said the lease placed responsibility for safety measures and certification on Abhishek Banerjee
- Related billboard dispute
- Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police removed an allegedly unauthorised billboard from the building
- Police cases
- Three FIRs were filed over the related clash at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station
- Arrests
- Police have arrested 14 people in connection with the incident
Quotes
West Bengal fire and emergency services department
The state department that audited the office and issued the vacate order
“In the said RFSC, it was clearly recommended to renew the same before expiry. However you failed to do so.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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