BMC told to develop mobile app to check hotels’ permits

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has suggested that the BMC create a mobile application to provide information to the general public whether city restaurants have the requisite civic and fire brigade permissions.

A division bench of Chief Justice N.H. Patil and Justice M.S. Karnik made the suggestion while hearing a bunch of petitions demanding that a judicial committee be set up to probe the December 2017 fire at two pubs in the Kamala Mills compound in central Mumbai. The fire at Mojo’s Bistro and 1Above Pub on the night of December 29, 2017 killed 14 people and injured several others.

Acting on the petitions, the high court earlier this year set up a three-member judicial committee to inquire into the tragedy and give recommendations to avoid such incidents in future.

The court on Thursday said that the civic body should develop an online platform, which can be accessed by the common man to check if a hotel or restaurant has all its licences in place and is fire compliant.

“There are some mobile applications where people see which restaurant is good. Something on that line should be developed,” said Justice Patil.