Calcutta High Court (file picture)
Kolkata: Calcutta HC on Friday restrained the state fire services department from acting on a Sept 4 notice directing TMC to vacate its Camac Street office over alleged non-compliance with fire safety norms. Justice Krishna Rao said the relief would remain in force until Sept 16, when the matter will be heard again. TMC had challenged the notice, which was issued after the fire department inspected the premises on Sept 1. The department said the building’s fire safety compliance certificate had expired on Aug 10 and had not been renewed. The property owner claimed the lease had been terminated on Aug 20.
The court could not pass a detailed order due to paucity of time.
He said the sixth floor had 60 fire sprinklers and 15 smoke detectors, while the seventh floor had 45 sprinklers and 15 smoke detectors.
Senior advocate Kishore Datta, appearing for TMC, said the party had complied with several fire safety requirements. Datta said. Advocate general Surajit Nath Mitra, appearing for the state, said the authorities had found fire safety lapses during the inspection and that the building’s fire safety certificate had expired without being renewed. Rao said the TMC had appeared at the initial hearing and stressed that an affected party should be given an opportunity to respond before an adverse order was passed. It requires some time,” he said.
“What is interesting is that from the basement to the fifth floor there is no hazard, the entire hazard is on the sixth and seventh floor? “If the authority is going to pass an order against a person, opportunity should be given. Fire safety is not like within an hour, all the things have to be done.