Patna, Nalanda hotels face safety audit after Delhi fire

Patna: Following the Delhi Malviya Nagar guesthouse fire that claimed more than 20 lives, Bihar Police has ordered a comprehensive inspection of all hotels and guest houses in Patna and Nalanda districts. Central range IG Jitendra Rana has directed all Station House Officers (SHOs) in the two districts to complete the exercise in three phases — preparation of lists, verification of documents and on-ground inspections of establishments, officials said.In the first phase, to be completed by June 15, SHOs have been asked to prepare a list of all hotels and guest houses within their jurisdictions and submit it to the respective deputy superintendents of police (DSPs). The second phase, from June 15 to June 30, will focus on verification of documents, including licences issued by the tourism department, fire department, municipal bodies and pollution control board, at the police station level.During the third phase, SHOs of the concerned police stations will conduct on-ground inspections of hotels and guest houses in their respective areas to ensure compliance with licence conditions and safety norms.According to the IG’s directive, a detailed report will be submitted to senior officers after completion of the entire process.IG Rana said, “Action taken against establishments with missing or incomplete documents must be mentioned in the report, aiming to crack down on illegally operating properties.”