Bongaon fire officials reprimand hotel owner over middleman attempt

During a fire safety inspection in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas, a hotel owner attempted to involve a middleman by handing a mobile phone to a fire department official. The incident occurred while the Bongaon fire station team was inspecting hotels and guest houses to ensure compliance with safety regulations following recent hotel fires in Tarapith and Mirzagarib Street.

When the official requested necessary fire safety documentation at a hotel owned by Chitta Saha, the owner offered to let a middleman speak to the officer. The fire official refused the phone and reprimanded the owner, stating that the department has no involvement with middlemen.

Following the confrontation, the hotel owner claimed that middlemen are used to process government paperwork for a fee. The owner also admitted that the fire extinguishers at the establishment had not been renewed. Station Officer Shubhamoy Modak clarified that the department's responsibility is to verify safety rules and that no intermediaries are required for the inspection process.