MUMBAI: Acting on recommendations in the Kamala Mills blaze inquiry report, the BMC has decided to cancel licences of restaurants if violations are found thrice in a row or seizures have occurred twice in a year.

At a meeting last week, BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta instructed the departments to get cracking. The executive health officer (EHO) has been directed to insert the above conditions in the health licence, issued under Section 394 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act (MMC).

Earlier, licences would be cancelled only in case of major violations, said a civic official. “The establishment would be given various chances for improvement and only in extreme cases, the licence would be cancelled. Besides, unlike the circular now, it was never specifically laid out when licences could be cancelled,” he added.

The deputy municipal commissioner (removal of encroachment) has been directed to issue the revised guidelines for monsoon sheds, including allowing a height of around one metre. The BMC is also mentioning in the guidelines that if any violations are observed, permission for the next year will not be issued.

Both 1Above and Mojo’s Bistro, which were gutted in the last week of December killing 14, got a slew of notices and yet the licences never got cancelled. In May 2017, both 1Above and Mojo’s were served notices under Section 351 of the MMC Act for changing the existing use of the premises without permission.

On June 16 the same year, another notice was served to 1Above for failing to submit proof that the rooftop premises was authorized. On July 4, 1Above and Mojo’s pulled up under Section 55 of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act (MRTP) 1966 for unauthorized construction. On September 18, a notice under Section 394 of the MMC Act served to both for infringement of licence conditions. In October, the BMC carried out a seizure.