Overview

• The Calcutta High Court has issued an interim stay on further rooftop restaurant demolitions by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) until a hearing on Thursday.
• The court questioned the legality of demolitions conducted based on stop-work notices and emphasized that some establishments have pending applications for regularization.
• KMC has identified 83 rooftop establishments for closure, citing fire safety and building regulation violations after the April 29 fire at Hotel Rituraj that claimed 14 lives.
• The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) is supporting affected restaurant owners, who argue for clearer regulations and a phased enforcement approach to protect livelihoods.
• Industry insiders estimate that the crackdown could jeopardize around 10,000 jobs, as many businesses recently renewed licenses and invested heavily in compliance.