KMC has suspended food licences at around 60 restaurants, food joints and sweet shops in Kolkata after a week-long inspection drive found alleged hygiene and food-safety violations. The civic body said affected establishments must correct the deficiencies, seek a fresh inspection and obtain clearance before reopening.
Kolkata | September 9, 2026
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation issued suspension notices to about 60 establishments after its food inspectors checked 592 restaurants, food outlets and confectioneries between September 1 and 7. Around 20 more restaurants and sweet shops were added to a list of 40 establishments released on Tuesday, bringing the total number of affected outlets to roughly 60.
Among the establishments that received fresh notices were Roots near Exide crossing, Golden Dragon on Park Street, Chung Wah in Chandni Chowk and New Aliah Hotel on Bentinck Street, according to the report. Owners and managers of several notified establishments visited KMC headquarters on Wednesday to seek clarification on the steps required for reopening.
Municipal commissioner Smita Pandey said the establishments must first address the deficiencies recorded in the notices. “We told them they must address the shortcomings for which we were forced to serve licence suspension notices on them. Once they are done with the corrections, they should approach us,” Pandey told The Times of India.
KMC will send inspection teams to assess whether the required changes have been made. “If we are satisfied with the changes, we will revoke the suspension notice and allow the establishments to reopen,” Pandey said.
Officials said the most common violations involved poor hygiene in kitchens and food and sweet preparation areas. Other deficiencies included the absence of records for disposal of used cooking oil, uncovered food items and food handlers working without headgear or aprons. The establishments were also instructed to improve kitchen conditions, raw-material storage and the handling of ingredients such as fish and meat.
A civic official said the suspension notices were not permanent closure orders and that the establishments had two weeks to make the required changes. However, none of the notified outlets can resume operations without KMC approval. Several establishments have stopped serving food and displayed “renovation in progress” signs while they work on the cited deficiencies.
The action has raised concern among restaurant and sweet-shop owners because Durga Puja is just over a month away. The period before, during and immediately after the festival is typically an important sales window for such businesses, and owners fear that prolonged closures could affect their earnings.
Pandey has sought assistance from police commissioner Ajay Nand to ensure that the establishments do not reopen without civic clearance. KMC officials said the police had been given the list of suspended establishments and would be responsible for enforcing the closure while the civic body carries out inspections and decides whether licences can be restored.
