Fire safety notice served on Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office

The West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department has issued a notice to Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee’s office on Camac Street over alleged fire safety violations, a senior official said.

The notice, served on Tuesday, stated that the premises’ fire safety certificate expired on 10 August and had not been renewed. The department has sought a written response within 48 hours.

It has also asked the building’s owner and tenant to explain why the premises should not be sealed for operating without the required fire safety compliance.

The action followed a joint inspection conducted by the Kolkata Police and the Fire Department on Monday as part of an ongoing fire safety audit. Officials examined the building at 9 Camac Street floor by floor, including Banerjee’s office on the seventh and eighth floors.

According to the notice, the inspection identified several shortcomings in the building’s fire safety arrangements. These included inadequate water availability for firefighting on the seventh floor and the absence of a designated emergency fire exit.

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

Officials said the department would examine the documents and explanations submitted by the owner and tenant before determining its next course of action.

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

With PTI inputs