Kolkata: With several hotels, guest houses and restaurants facing closure over violations of fire-safety, civic and food-safety norms, Bidhannagar police, the fire department and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation have stepped up inspections at Salt Lake and New Town ahead of Durga Puja and asked hospitality operators to strictly comply with regulations.Bidhannagar police commissioner Amitkumar Rathod led a meeting with hotel, guest house and restaurant operators at IB Block in Salt Lake, where officials stressed the need to ensure compliance with safety and civic requirements, particularly during the Puja period when footfall and demand for accommodation are expected to rise.Police also asked all hotels and accommodation providers to update their C-Form details immediately. The C-Form, now designated as Form III, is a mandatory digital arrival report that accommodation providers must submit through the Bureau of Immigration portal within 24 hours of a foreign tourist checking in.The move assumes added significance with Salt Lake and New Town witnessing increased demand for accommodation from Bangladeshi tourists. Several visitors have reportedly shifted to these areas after a number of major hotels in the Free School Street area shut down following enforcement action over violations.Officials told hospitality operators that adherence to fire-safety, civic and food-safety norms would be closely monitored during the run-up to Puja. Police also emphasised the need for timely submission of mandatory documents relating to foreign guests to ensure proper verification and compliance with immigration requirements.The meeting was attended by representatives of the police, fire dept and civic authorities.
