Across Chandigarh, there are approximately 20,000 commercial and government buildings, but only a fraction of them adhere to fire safety norms
The Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) has consistently ignored fire safety regulations at its prominent hotels, raising serious concerns about the safety of guests and employees. Despite repeated warnings from the fire department, flagship properties like Hotel Mountview in Sector 10, Hotel Shivalikview in Sector 17, Hotel Parkview in Sector 24, and Chef Lakeview at Sukhna Lake have been operating without the mandatory fire safety certificates, flouting both legal requirements and safety protocols.
The National Building Code (NBC), introduced in 2016, requires commercial establishments to renew their fire no-objection certificates (NOCs) every three years. However, CITCO has not renewed these certificates for the past eight years, putting hundreds of lives at risk. According to officials, despite the requirement that a bar licence is only granted after submission of a fire NOC, CITCO’s establishments have managed to bypass this rule by merely submitting undertakings that they have applied for the NOC, without actually implementing adequate safety measures.
CITCO’s executive engineer, Jitender Singh, stated, “We have complied with most of the directions of the fire department, and more improvements are underway. We are hopeful that everything will be in place by December this year. The issue has already been taken up in the board meeting.” However, fire officials remain unconvinced. Lal Bahadur Gautam, fire officer of the Sector 17 station, remarked, “We have recently issued a letter to CITCO, instructing them to comply with the safety norms by December this year, failing which action will be taken. Shockingly, none of these hotels have sprinklers that prevent the fire from spreading.”
Efforts to contact CITCO’s officiating managing director, Hari Kallikkat, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to multiple attempts via calls and messages.
The issue of fire safety is not limited to CITCO’s properties. Across Chandigarh, there are approximately 20,000 commercial and government buildings, but only a fraction of them adhere to fire safety norms. A recent safety audit conducted by the municipal corporation in August revealed widespread violations in 6,000 commercial and government buildings. Most lacked emergency exits, certified fire extinguishers, hose reels, automatic alarm systems, and fire smoke check doors. Loose electrical wiring was also a common issue.
In response to frequent fires at PGIMER, a major healthcare facility, former UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit directed the hospital to comply with the National Building Code. Currently, however, only one of its 17 buildings holds a valid fire certificate.
CITCO has also struggled to renovate its hotels, a project initially approved in 2021 to upgrade their facilities and improve profitability. After three years, however, no significant progress has been made. A senior CITCO officer noted, “The authorities concerned are not taking any initiatives despite several presentations regarding the renovation. It is becoming increasingly difficult to compete with private hotels due to the delay.”
Hotel Mountview’s Chinese restaurant, Magic Wok, which reopened in June 2023 after closing during the pandemic, has also faced financial losses. During a recent board meeting, it was decided that the restaurant would be leased out due to continued losses. A senior officer cited staffing shortages and the absence of professional chefs as key reasons behind the restaurant’s poor performance.
Operational instability has further hindered CITCO’s progress. The corporation has been functioning without a permanent managing director since March 2022, when the last full-time MD, Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, returned to her parent cadre. Since then, the role has been handled by various officials in a temporary capacity, contributing to delays and management issues.
As CITCO faces mounting pressure from both the fire department and internal management challenges, questions remain about its ability to ensure the safety and future of its flagship properties.