Kolkata, 20 August (H.S.) : West Bengal Tourism Minister and Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh held a series of meetings at the Siliguri State Guest House on Thursday with officials and representatives from different sectors to discuss several pressing issues facing the city.

Ghosh met officials of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, hoteliers, fire-safety representatives, and authorities and teachers from various schools. Municipal services, complaints of irregularities, hotel fire safety, underage students riding motorcycles and scooters to school, traffic management, parking and the growing Toto problem were among the key issues discussed.

The minister made it clear that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty if complaints of irregularities were established. He said no one would be spared and action would be taken in accordance with the law. He also announced plans to introduce a dedicated WhatsApp helpline to facilitate the resolution of public complaints.

On hotel fire safety, Ghosh said a special committee would soon be constituted to conduct surprise inspections at hotels across the city. Hotels found with serious fire-safety deficiencies could face stringent action and may even be ordered to shut down, if necessary.

The meeting also discussed plans to provide specialised fire-safety training to hotel employees to improve preparedness and response during emergencies.

The minister also stressed the need to prevent students below the age of 18 from riding motorcycles or scooters to school. He said steps would be taken in consultation with school authorities, while parents would also be urged to remain vigilant about the safety of their children.

Traffic congestion, haphazard parking and issues related to Totos were also discussed during the meetings. Ghosh said he would coordinate with the Police Commissioner and senior officials to identify and implement measures to address these problems.

The minister emphasised that law and traffic rules must be enforced uniformly across Siliguri, regardless of whether he was present in the city or not.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh