Nineteen restaurants, bars and cafes running from rooftops or fire refuges in New Town and Sector V have been served “stop operation” notices, a senior state government official said on Saturday.

The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) served notices to 10 establishments in New Town, and the Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA) served notices to nine outlets in Sector V.

The names of the cafes, bars and restaurants that have been served such stop-operation notices were put up on the websites of the NKDA and the NDITA.

The official said that while many of the establishments did not have a sanctioned building plan for construction on the rooftop or terrace, several others lacked a fire, excise or trade licences. Some had only one licence.

A fire licence is obtained after fire safety measures are put in place, a trade licence or a certificate of enlistment is required to run a business and an excise licence is needed to sell and serve liquor.

“We wanted people to know whether the rooftop cafes, bars and restaurants around their homes and workplaces were safe to visit or not; whether they met all the legal requirements or not. The public notification with the names of the establishments has been put up on the websites of the NKDA and the NDITA,” said the official.

“We also expect that people will not visit these places even if they stay open surreptitiously. With knowledge, the public, too, must act responsibly,” said a government official.

The crackdown on rooftop restaurants, bars and cafes comes after a fire at Rituraj Hotel in central Calcutta on April 29, where 14 people died.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the fire-ravaged hotel on May 1 and asked the business community to follow fire safety norms or face government action.

On May 2, Calcutta’s mayor and state urban development minister Firhad Hakim announced that Calcutta’s rooftop cafes, lounges, bars and restaurants would be shut down.

The civic authorities and police in New Town, Sector V and Salt Lake swung into action soon.

“Physical inspections by the NKDA and the NDITA were conducted over the past four or five days. The owners of the establishments were given a chance to present the legal permits they had. We have come to this decision only after examining the documents,” said the official.

The police conducted separate inspections. Both New Town and Sector V fall in the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar city police. The civic authorities and the police exchanged their findings.

“We did not demolish any structure. We have asked them to stop operations,” the government official said.

The preliminary police inquiry showed that all but one death at Rituraj Hotel were from choking on thick smoke.

Most of those dead were guests at the hotel who could not open their sealed windows when smoke gushed in. Nor did they have a clear idea of the escape route — whether to head to the stairwell or the terrace.

The designated fire exit was allegedly blocked and could not be used. The fire safety gadgets did not work, the inquiry showed.