Darjeeling: Hotels told to register under 1867 act

Darjeeling, June 22: A notice has been issued from the office of the Darjeeling district magistrate’s judicial department asking all hotels to register under the Sarai Act, 1867. All establishments failing to register are liable to be closed.

The hoteliers in town are to submit a copy of the trade licence, a no-objection certificate from the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services department and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, land documents and an up-to-date rent receipt along with an affidavit.

In the affidavit, the owners have to declare that they have taken proper fire safety measures, have proper security arrangement, and that the hotels have taken care to supply safe drinking water to boarders and hygienic conditions are well maintained.

The owners will also have to declare that there is an arrangement for sufficient lights at the hotel and that the hotels will only use commercial liquefied petroleum gas connections.

The notice comes at a time when there were complaints from visitors during the just concluded tourist season that they were charged Rs 6,500 for spilling water after having accidentally left the taps open in night.

There were also complaints that tourist were asked to spend a day with a bucket of water until water arrived in private tankers late in the evening.

The deputy director of fire services (north zone) had conducted a random survey of Darjeeling town for two days from April 20 to April 22, after a devastating fire gutted more than 100 shops between N.B. Singh Road and H.D. Lama . The report warned of a fire catastrophe in Darjeeling.

“It is very disappointing to learn that the means of escape, open spaces, access of roads in respect of height and other factors, which are vital aspect of safety have been totally ignored, therefore, the town is gradually becoming a death trap,” said D. Lepcha, fire protection and prevention officer (hill areas).

“The fire tenders can hold 2,000 to 4,000 litres of water. Water is sprayed at the rate of 200 litres per minute and it is obvious that in less than 10 minutes a tanker gets empty. This is why educational and commercial institutions should at least set-up 2,000 litres overhead water tanks in their compound,” he said.

Hotels are expected to have fire fighting equipment, generators and other amenities in place. The fire department officials has said that business establishments will have to submit site plan/blue print of their premises and other details of the building to obtain the licence.

Hoteliers in Darjeeling, said that they had just started receiving the notice.

“We are in the dark about the 1867 Act. Before implementing an Act, the government should make provisions to provide enough drinking water, dumping yards should be cleaned regularly and fire hydrants should be installed to mitigate emergencies,” said a Janmukti Hotel Owners’ Association member.