1 week ago
Siliguri Launches Special Hotel Safety Inspections After Deadly Bengal Fires
The government in Bengal plans to inspect hotels and other businesses around Siliguri.
This decision follows two hotel fires that killed nine people each.
One fire happened in Tarapith and the other in Kolkata.
Police, firefighters, power officials and city officials will work together.
They will inspect places such as hotels, lodges, malls and warehouses.
They will check licences, building plans and fire-safety equipment.
Old buildings and businesses in crowded areas will receive special attention.
Businesses that break important safety rules could be closed temporarily.
The minister said both small and large establishments must follow the same rules.
The Bengal government plans a special safety inspection drive across Siliguri and adjoining areas.
The drive follows hotel fires in Tarapith and Kolkata that killed nine people each.
A team from the police, fire brigade, power authorities and Siliguri Municipal Corporation will conduct inspections for 30 days.
Inspectors will check building plans, fire and trade licences, power connections and other safety arrangements.
Establishments with serious violations may be sealed until their documents and safety deficiencies are corrected.
- Who
- The Bengal government, led in this effort by Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh, will oversee inspections involving police, fire brigade, power authorities and Siliguri Municipal Corporation.
- What
- A 30-day special inspection drive will assess fire and safety arrangements at hotels, lodges and other commercial establishments.
- Where
- Siliguri and its adjoining areas, following fires in Tarapith and Kolkata.
- When
- The drive was announced on Thursday and is planned to continue for the next 30 days; it follows fires earlier in the week and on Wednesday.
- Why
- The inspections were announced after two hotel fires killed nine people each and raised concerns about safety compliance.
Key facts
- Inspection period
- 30 days
- Areas covered
- Siliguri and adjoining areas
- Establishments covered
- Hotels, lodges, shopping complexes, malls, warehouses and other commercial establishments
- Authorities involved
- Police, fire brigade, power authorities and Siliguri Municipal Corporation
- Checks planned
- Building plans, fire licences, trade licences, power connections and safety arrangements
- Recent fatalities
- Nine people died in the Tarapith hotel fire and another nine died in the Kolkata hotel fire
- Enforcement
- Establishments with serious violations may be sealed until deficiencies are rectified
Quotes
Shankar Ghosh
Bengal Tourism Minister
“Being a small lodge does not mean that the rules will be different, he said.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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