Fire department notice to Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office over safety lapses

Kolkata: The West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department has served a notice on the Camac Street office of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, citing several alleged safety lapses, a senior official said.

The notice, issued on Tuesday, stated that the fire safety certificate for the premises expired on August 10 and has not been renewed, he said.

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"There were certain safety lapses and we have sought a written reply within 48 hours," the official told PTI on Tuesday evening.

The department has also sought an explanation from the building owner and the tenant on why the premises should not be sealed for allegedly operating without the required fire safety compliance.

A joint team of the Kolkata Police and Fire Department conducted a floor-by-floor inspection of the building at 9 Camac Street on Monday, including the portions housing Banerjee's office on the seventh and eighth floors. The inspection was part of an ongoing fire safety audit.

According to the notice, the inspection found several deficiencies in the fire safety arrangements at the premises. Among the issues pointed out were inadequate water availability for firefighting on the seventh floor, and no designated fire exit for emergency evacuation.

The fire alarm system was also found to be non-functional or not operating properly, it said.

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The notice comes days after an operation to remove an allegedly unauthorised billboard from the Camac Street premises triggered a confrontation involving TMC workers, the police and civic officials.

The Fire Department is likely to examine the documents submitted by the owner and the tenant before deciding on further action, officials added.