The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday set aside a West Bengal Fire Services Department order directing the Trinamool Congress to vacate two floors of a high-rise building on Camac Street housing party leader Abhishek Banerjee’s office.
Justice Krishna Rao directed the Fire Department to reconsider the party’s response submitted on September 3 and conduct a fresh inspection of the premises after issuing a fresh notice. The court had earlier stayed the implementation of the department’s September 4 order, which cited alleged fire safety deficiencies on the two floors.
Following the fresh inspection, the Fire Department will inform the party of any shortcomings and the safety measures required to address them. The court said the department would be free to take action in accordance with law if the party fails to comply with the required fire safety measures.
The office of Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP, is located in the upper floors of 9 Camac Street in south Kolkata. The Fire Department inspected the building after a confrontation involving Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials, party supporters and private security personnel during the removal of a billboard from the premises in August.
Following the inspection, the department issued a notice directing that the floors occupied by the Trinamool office be vacated, citing inadequate fire safety arrangements. The party subsequently moved the High Court challenging the order.
During the proceedings, Trinamool’s lawyer Kishore Dutta argued that several of the alleged deficiencies were the responsibility of the building owner. He said LPG cylinders cited by the authorities had already been removed. Dutta also argued that if the building posed a serious fire safety risk, the entire premises should have been declared unsafe rather than only the floors occupied by the party.
Appearing for the state, Advocate General Surojit Nath Mitra argued that multiple fire safety norms had allegedly been violated. The state told the court that LPG cylinders had been found on one of the floors and that the fire alarm systems were not functioning properly. It also submitted that although the floors had 45 fire sprinklers, the number was significantly lower than those installed elsewhere in the building, along with other alleged deficiencies.
The Trinamool Congress maintained that responsibility for rectifying such structural and safety issues rested with the building owner. The High Court, while quashing the September 4 order, has now directed the Fire Department to follow the fresh inspection and compliance process before deciding on any further action.
