KMC, police, fire & excise officials to be on rooftop resto hearing panel
Times of India | 18 May 2025
Kolkata: Four senior officials from Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), along with senior officials from the state fire services department, Excise dept and Kolkata Police, will conduct a hearing next week for three rooftop restaurants that moved court after being served notice by the civic body's buildings wing. A source said a committee was formed with officials from the KMC buildings department, trade licence department, and assessment department, as well as a divisional fire officer, joint commissioner of the state excise dept, and an assistant commissioner of KP to reverify relevant documents of the three rooftop restaurants — Drunken Teddy, Romaania, and Scrapyard — which moved court against KMC's order of demolition.The committee will be headed by an additional KMC commissioner.According to a civic official, after the completion of the hearing, KMC will decide to follow the same procedure for other rooftop restaurants if they approach the civic body. KMC sent notices to 83 rooftop restaurants asking them to suspend operations. According to a source, the hearing will be conducted based on whether these restaurants violated KMC buildings rules while constructing the rooftop facility and adhered to fire norms. During the hearing, it will also be checked whether these restaurants were running with a valid excise dept licence."The committee has been formed with different stakeholders who will examine documents from the restaurants during the hearing process. The fate of three restaurants will be decided based on submission of relevant documents by the owners," said a KMC buildings department official. According to him, the KMC buildings department will play a major role in the hearing as it will need to know whether any official issued any sort of permission for the construction of rooftop restaurants.KMC was directed by the court to give a "fresh decision" on whether invocation of 400 (8) is warranted, which according to the high court is an "extraordinary power to be used in emergency situations". If it is imperative for ensuring public safety, then the KMC can proceed with demolition after a "subjective and objective" assessment, but if there is an absence of any immediate threat to life, then the owners should be given a hearing before taking coercive steps.