Formal “hearings” into alleged lapses in rooftop bars and restaurants will begin next week, following the preparation of a set of norms for the segment, the city’s mayor said on Wednesday.
“The state government will form a committee that will finalise the standard operating procedure (SOP). The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will begin the hearings next week,” mayor Firhad Hakim told The Telegraph.
Multiple government agencies will be part of the preparation of the SOP, Hakim said.
The hearings, however, will be conducted only by the civic body, at least for now, he said.
“Officials from fire services, excise, police and the KMC will be there when the SOP is finalised. The presence of officials from all these departments will ensure that their concerns and objections are factored in while preparing the SOP. The KMC will then conduct the hearings,” Hakim said.
In the first week of May, the KMC had issued notices to over 80 rooftop establishments across the city demanding they “stop operations and demolish unauthorised structures immediately” or face demolition under Section 400(8) of the KMC Act.
The list had included some of the city’s most happening party spots.
Four popular city establishments with rooftop sections challenged the notices in Calcutta High Court. Among them was a popular hangout on Park Street, portions of which the KMC demolished on May 2 for alleged violation of the civic body’s building rules on terraces. The other three joints moved the high court with support from the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI).
On May 6, the court kept in “abeyance” for two weeks the demolition order, directing the KMC to “reverify” documentation before taking further action. The court directed the KMC to make a fresh decision on whether Section 400 (8) should be invoked after re-verification of all documentation. Only if the KMC determines that a “grave emergency” exists may they proceed with demolition. Otherwise, affected establishments must be given a hearing opportunity first, the judge said.
The KMC had sent a draft SOP to the chief secretary last week, Hakim had said earlier. Nabanna’s stamp on the draft is still pending.
The civic body had issued notices to 83 rooftop establishments. But for now, the formal hearings will be held for the four petitioners in Calcutta High Court.
“As of now, we will hear the cases of the four restaurants that had moved court. A decision on the others will be taken in the coming days,” said a KMC official.
The owners or representatives of at least seven to eight restaurants have already had informal meetings with the civic body, said sources in the industry. “These are not formal hearings. They went to explain their scenario,” said one of the sources.
The civic body has already inspected rooftop joints in the city. Representatives of the fire services department have been part of the inspections.
“The documents that the rooftop establishments have are with the civic body,” said a restaurateur.