KMC cracks down on rooftop restaurants

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) sprang into action from Saturday morning slapping closure notices to 83 rooftop restaurants in the city. Mayor Firhad Hakim had made it clear on Friday that rooftops cannot be sold or let out for commercial purposes. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made an unannounced visit to a commercial building near Allen Park on Park Street on Thursday. This visit followed her inspection of the fire-damaged hotel in Burrabazar, where she received reports that escape routes in the commercial building were blocked by stacked LPG cylinders and that the roof was inaccessible. Banerjee had said the terrace won’t be shut for a restaurant so that in case of fire, people can escape to the roof. Six bars and restaurants at the building were shut after the visit as officials of Fire, KMC and police met with the building representatives. The Kolkata Police has already compiled a list of 83 such rooftop restaurants within the KMC area. Armed with the list KMC teams along with cops from the local police station started drive against such restaurants. “We have set a target of completion off serving notices to all such rooftop restaurants and bar cum restaurants by Saturday night,” said a senior KMC official.

According to the list, Kasba alone has 10 such rooftop establishments While seven such establishments are located within the jurisdiction of Park Street police station and eight are within the Shakespeare Sarani police station. The notice slapped, instructs the restaurant owner to immediately stop all construction work, stop any operations currently ongoing on the premises and demolish all unauthorised structures on the premises without delay . The KMC has already started dismantling the rooftop restaurant at Magma House in Park Street that was served notice immediately after the Chief Minister’s visit on Thursday . “We will first slap a notice asking them to dismantle the establishment within a time frame. If the concerned authorities do not take action , then we will have to use force,” Hakim said.

The Mayor had said that in the recent Burrabazar hotel fire, because the roof was open, many survived the fire. He said the hotel’s staircase was converted into godown and emergency exit was blocked. According to a vernacular news portal the list contains the names of the following rooftops where notices were sent. However, Millennium Post has not verified the names.

Park Street: The Sky Story, Roots, Oris, The Golden Park, Drunken Teddy, Scrap Yard, LMNOQ; Shakespear Sarani: Hashtag, Soul, Altera, The Astor, Park Street Social, QAIQAI, The Lords & Barons, Eating House-cum-Restaurant; Bhawanipore: Cloud Tavern, Club Kolkata Mixstape, Romaania Kanha Confectionery; Tollygunge: Nomnoss Inn, Calorie HIC; New Alipore: Zaiqa; Chetla: Chetla Rooftop; Beliaghata: Kitchen Q Speciality; Tangra: Kolkata 46; Burrabazar: Ms Olive; Girish Park: Cafe 16th AR Casa; Hare Street: Might Queens Bar; New Market: Blue & Beyond; Anandapur: Manzilaat; Pragati Maidan: La Phelis; Jadavpur: Scrap Yard’s rooftop; Garfa: Steamin Mugs, Jafran Bar, Spice of Joy; Netaji Nagar: After 9 Bar, TKK Restaurant, Raj Restaurant; Kasba PS area: Vivant, Singhji Dhaba, La Flame, H2O Novelty, Chini Kum, Ms Chillies, Ms Sen Hotels, Asia Kitchen, Hoppi Pola, Zara; Behala: Friction Cafe, Hotel Royal Height.

The others served notices include:
Closure notices were alo sent to 3 rooftops in Parnasree; 2 in Beniapukur; 3 each from Tosia and Gariahat; 5 from Ballygunge; 1 in Tiljala; 1 in Lake PS area; 5 in Karaya PS area; 6 in Rabindra Sarovar area; 2 in Wadgunge area; 1 in Raja Bagan area; 1 in MPPS area.