Kolkata, Dec 11 (IANS) The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will conduct special surveillance drives across hotels, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants during the Christmas and New Year celebrations to ensure strict compliance with entertainment tax rules and safety norms, a senior KMC official said on Thursday.

With the winter festive season just around the corner, preparations have already begun in the city’s hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and bars where various concerts, cultural programs and parties are organised. For this, the civic authorities in Kolkata have decided to conduct special surveillance on these places from December 23 to January 3.

The move from the KMC comes days after a fire at a nightclub in Goa, which claimed 25 lives.

According to the KMC official, permission from the municipal corporation is required for any kind of entertainment shows or events during the festive season. A specific entertainment tax must also be paid for this.

It is alleged that every year, several hotels, upscale nightclubs and bars organise parties without obtaining the necessary permits. To prevent such violations, the administration is taking a stricter stance this year.

A KMC official said, “If any event is held without permission, or if the terms of the permit are violated by exceeding the permitted limits, the concerned authorities will be fined a hefty amount. Especially if the event continues until midnight, the tax is doubled. To ensure that these rules are being followed correctly, teams will be on the streets every day from 6 p.m. onwards. On specific days, raids will also be conducted after midnight.”

At the same time, special focus will be laid to ensure that adequate safety measures are put in place in such places in case of an emergency. Fire extinguisher, proper entry and exit gates, ventilation and other areas will be monitored during such visits.

This surveillance will cover not only hotels and restaurants but also events organised at various exhibitions, fairgrounds, parks and open grounds across the city.

According to municipal sources, in some cases, large-scale entertainment events are organised under the guise of fairs or exhibitions, but the required taxes are not paid. This year, strict action will be taken if any such tax evasion is detected, officials said.

–IANS

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