Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will reportedly carry out special surveillance across hotels, nightclubs, bars and restaurants during the Christmas and New Year period to ensure that venues follow entertainment tax rules and basic safety norms, a senior official said on Thursday.
The move follows a recent nightclub fire in Goa that claimed 25 lives, prompting renewed concern over fire safety and emergency
preparedness at entertainment venues. As Kolkata’s winter festivities approach, preparations are underway at restaurants and clubs that host concerts, cultural evenings and late-night parties. Expecting a surge in such gatherings between December 23 and January 3, the civic body has decided to deploy inspection teams to keep watch on permits, tax payments and safety infrastructure.
KMC officials said organisers must obtain prior permission for any entertainment event during the festive season and pay the corresponding entertainment tax. They noted that some venues have been known to host large parties without completing these formalities. This year, the corporation intends to take a firmer approach.
“If an event is held without permission or the conditions of the permit are ignored, the organisers will face substantial penalties,” a civic official said.
“When an event continues past midnight, the tax automatically doubles. To ensure these rules are properly followed, inspection teams will be out from 6 pm everyday, with late-night checks on select dates.”
Safety measures will form a major part of these visits. Officials will verify whether fire extinguishers are in place, whether exit routes are accessible and whether ventilation and other emergency requirements meet norms.
The surveillance will not be limited to hospitality venues. Fairs, exhibitions, parks and open-air grounds that host entertainment events will also be covered. According to municipal sources, some large-scale programmes are staged under the pretext of exhibitions to avoid paying entertainment tax. “Any such violation detected this year will invite strict action,” an official said.
KMC hopes the intensified monitoring will help ensure both compliance and safer celebrations across the city.