As many as 54 hotels and restaurants in Ahmedabad have procured licenses from the Municipal corporation despite not being in possession of mandatory BU permission. The information amplifies in its seriousness as it is in direct contravention of the Gujarat High Court directives.
Gujarat High Court had ordered that no license to the hotel and restaurant should be issued if the premises do not have BU permission. However, it is revealed that, in 2021, the municipal health and food department issued licenses to 54 establishments only on the basis of permission from the municipal commissioner.
The procedure which requires permission from the municipal general board or standing committee has been done away with in handing over these licenses.
There are certain prominent hotels and restaurants figured in the list which procured licenses without the required procedure. Bap No Bagicho on Shilaj ring road, Casa cafe in South Bopal, William’s Pizza in Maninagar, Bera samosa in Bhadra, Chatako in Jashodanagar, and Kismat kathiawadi in Gota are a few of the examples.
In the year 2001, after the earthquake that shook Gujarat, the High Court had ordered that no restaurent, hotel or cafe should be given licence to operate business if it fails to provide BU permission of the premises. The Standing Commitee at that time passed a resolution prohibiting issuance of licence to any such establishment which is not having BU permission. the reslution also mentioned that if area of any building is measuring below 200 sq metres, a certificate from structural engineer should be obtained.
Disregarding the resolution, the commissioner and the department have proceeded to issue licences to 54 hotels and restaurents. Also, the procedure to ratify the comissioner’s decision by general body or sanding commitee is also not followed either.
That the lack of co-ordination among various departments of Municipal administration is playing havoc for citizens and genuine users is a matter of concern. On one hand, the canteens in a hospital are getting licenses and on the other hand, hospitals running without BU permission have difficulties in obtaining C-Form required for Hospital registration for the same premises where canteen is run. It is a known fact that innumerable buildings in the City do not have BU permission.
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