Rooftop restaurants bylaws yet to be notified by govt

A month has passed since urban development and housing minister Shanti Dhariwal had on November 22 set a week-long deadline saying bylaws would be notified for regularisation of city’s rooftop restaurants.

With no notification, rooftop restaurants continue to function without any fire NoC risking the lives of hundreds of customers.

Once the bylaws are notified, all rooftop restaurants will have to take approval of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) within three months and fulfil all the requirements. With no bylaws in place, the JMC fire officials will not be able to charge the restaurant owners who run the eateries without permission.

Director of local bodies, Ujjawal Rathore, said work on the bylaws was almost over and they would be notified soon. “They have been held back due to technical reasons,” said Rathore.

Talking on rooftops restaurants functioning in the city without any regularisation, Rathore said he had no clue about it and JMC should monitor it.

JMC officials said they can do nothing till bylaws are in place. “We had sealed many rooftop restaurants running without any fire NoC and license but the UDH minister asked us to reopen them and regularise them after bylaws are notified. As bylaws haven’t been notified there is no point in taking any action against these,” said a JMC official.

People are preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year. The rooftop restaurants and clubs will be packed with people, putting their lives at risk. In September a cylinder blast had occurred at a rooftop-restaurant on Tonk Road. Though no one was injured in the incident but it raised many questions regarding people’s safety. That restaurant was sealed as it did not have fire NoC. However, it opened again later.

Some officials in JMC said that as powerful people have commercial interest in these restaurants, the government is trying to legalise the otherwise illegal restaurants. “As per building bylaws and directions of the high court, terrace is not supposed to be used for any commercial activities but as an exit route. Rooftop restaurants are otherwise illegal but the government is trying to make it legal,” said a fire official.

Source:- https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/food-services/rooftop-restaurants-bylaws-yet-to-be-notified-by-govt/72950834