Kolkata, 11 December (H.S.) :

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation will conduct an intensive surveillance drive across hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs during the Christmas and New Year period to ensure strict adherence to entertainment tax regulations and safety norms, a senior civic official said on Thursday.

As hotels, nightclubs and eateries gear up for concerts, cultural events and festive parties, the civic body has decided to enforce special monitoring from December 23 to January 3. The move comes in the wake of a recent fire at a nightclub in Goa that claimed 25 lives, prompting heightened caution.

According to KMC officials, organisers must secure permission from the corporation for any entertainment event during the festive season, along with payment of the applicable entertainment tax. However, several upscale hotels and nightclubs allegedly host programmes each year without obtaining mandatory permits, leading the administration to adopt a stricter stance this time.

“If any event is organised without permission or if the terms of the permit are violated, including exceeding permitted limits, hefty fines will be imposed. The entertainment tax doubles if programmes run past midnight,” a senior official said. To ensure compliance, surveillance teams will be deployed daily from 6 p.m., with raids planned after midnight on selected days.

The KMC will also examine safety measures at these venues. Fire extinguishers, proper entry and exit points, ventilation and other emergency preparedness systems will be inspected during visits.

The surveillance drive will extend beyond hotels and nightclubs to include events at exhibition grounds, fairs, parks and open venues across Kolkata.

Municipal sources said some organisers conduct large-scale entertainment programmes under the pretext of fairs or exhibitions to evade entertainment tax. Strict action will be taken this year if such violations are detected, officials added.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh