Sanctioned building plans issued by all municipal bodies in Bengal will mention that the roof is a common area and cannot be subdivided, urban development minister Firhad Hakim said on Wednesday.
Hakim, also the mayor of Calcutta, said the civic body had prepared a draft standard operating procedure (SOP) about rooftop bars and restaurants, and submitted it to Bengal’s chief secretary for approval.
Calcutta High Court has given the Kolkata Municipal Corporation two weeks to take a fresh call on rooftop restaurants that were served stop-work and demolition notices by the civic body.
Discussions between restaurateurs and the administration are underway, both sides said.
“All sanctioned building plans across Bengal will henceforth mention that the roof is a common area and cannot be subdivided. The urban development department has issued a notification about this,” Hakim said.
A delegation from the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) met Hakim on Tuesday.
“We had a very positive meeting. The authorities have assured us that no coercive steps will be taken against restaurants and bars that are running according to the law,” said Sudesh Poddar, president of the association. Pranav Singh, the secretary, was also at the meeting.
Hakim confirmed the meeting. “They said it would be difficult to stop a running business. They said they would leave at least 50 per cent of the area open and allow everyone to access the terrace. We have prepared a draft SOP (on rooftop restaurants) and sent it to the chief secretary. Let us see what the government thinks,” he said on Wednesday evening.
Metro reported on Wednesday that the KMC was considering joint inspections of rooftop restaurants with other government wings. A joint hearing might follow the inspection. “The officers need to have an SOP before they conduct the hearings,” Hakim said.
A restaurant owner said there are around 400 enlisted rooftop establishments in and around Calcutta.
“The government authorities have been requested to consider the socio-economic impact of a blanket shutdown. The number of direct employees at these places is between 16,000 and 20,000. If vendors are included, the number will go up further,” the owner said.