Goa nightclub fire: Licence was issued without any documentation, claims Calangute BJP MLA

Panaji, Dec 7 (PTI) Goa BJP MLA Michael Lobo on Sunday said the licence to the ill-fated nightclub in Arpora, where 25 persons died in a devastating fire, was issued without any documentation by the local panchayat.

Talking to reporters, the MLA from Calangute stressed it is necessary for all departments to open their eyes. Safety measures are important as Goa is a tourist destination, he emphasised. The nightclub is in Calangute constituency.

"I have come to know that the panchayat issued a license for a restaurant and night club on this premises in 2023. Licence should be based on some documentation which is not there. There was no provisional No Objection Certificate from the pollution control board. Fire licence was given directly," he said.

Twenty-five people were killed in a blaze at 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Arpora. The deceased included four tourists and 14 employees.

Lobo said he had raised concern when a similar incident had taken place in Mumbai three years back.

No licence should be issued till the fire and emergency services get the blueprints of nightclubs, their entry and exits, fire extinguishers, sprinklers etc. Lobo said.

"I have spoken to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and shared my views about what needs to be done," Lobo said.

He said it is necessary to take collective responsibility.

The incident is a blot, he added.

According to police, four of the nightclub's staff members have been arrested, while owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, named in the FIR, too would be taken into custody soon. PTI PR BNM