Ensure implementation of safety norms at banquet halls: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar

Bijendra Ahlawat

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Faridabad, December 1

The issue of banquet halls and marriage palaces not complying with safety norms has taken a new turn with a fresh direction from Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The CM has directed that a comprehensive action plan be formulated to curtail the violations. The civic authorities have been asked to submit a report about the fulfilment of criteria required for its operation.

The direction came following a meeting of the District Grievance Redressal Committee, chaired by CM Khattar recently. Responding to a complaint regarding poor safety measures, the CM ordered the authorities of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation (MC) to prepare a detailed plan and report regarding the implementation of norms for the banquet halls in the city. Asking the authorities to ensure the compliance of rules, he said banquet hall owners should be made to submit a bank guarantee of Rs 25,000 at the time of seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the department concerned. While it was revealed that only five of 85 banquet halls had acquired NOCs from the Fire Department so far, sources in the district administration claimed that the figure could be double as the details collected by the Fire Department may not be comprehensive and accurate.

Revealing that a detailed survey is yet to be carried out about the public buildings requiring NOCs, an official of the civic body, on the condition of anonymity, said a majority of the 140-odd farmhouses detected in the Surajkund area had been operating as marriage or party gardens and had no NOC from the departments concerned.

A fire broke out during a marriage ceremony near Ankhir village last month. While no one was injured, the massive fire reduced the temporary structure to ashes before it could be doused in about three hours.

Satyawan Samriwal, Additional Divisional Fire Officer, said banquet halls operating from temporary structures do not fulfil the conditions for NOCs. He said notices were being issued in case of any violation.