Daijiworld Media Network - Calangute

Calangute, Dec 13: With the horrific Arpora nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives still casting a long shadow over Goa’s nightlife industry, the Calangute panchayat has issued show-cause notices to 17 restaurants allegedly operating clandestine clubs, directing them to submit mandatory No Objection Certificates within three days or face closure.

The establishments, including popular names such as Miami Restaurant, Café Mambo, Tito’s, Xtreme and Cape Town Café, have been asked to furnish NOCs from key departments such as Fire and Emergency Services, Excise, Health and the Food and Drugs Administration.

Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira acknowledged that years of lax scrutiny had allowed unsafe operations to flourish. “In a way, it’s our mistake too, as licences were issued without insisting on NOCs from relevant departments. We don’t want another Birch by Romeo Lane tragedy in our village,” he said.

Sequeira pointed out that while the panchayat had issued licences strictly for restaurants, several establishments were functioning as de facto nightclubs, featuring loud music, dance floors and extended operating hours without the statutory approvals required for such activities.

He clarified that while the panchayat has initiated a compliance drive at the licensing level, further enforcement action such as sealing premises or initiating prosecution falls under the jurisdiction of other authorities, including the police and the district administration.

The sarpanch added that going forward, no new licence or renewal would be granted unless establishments first produce all mandatory NOCs, marking a shift towards strict pre-verification instead of action after violations are detected.

The move comes amid a broader tightening of safety norms across Goa following the Arpora fire, which exposed systemic regulatory failures in the state’s nightlife sector. The Calangute panchayat’s action is expected to trigger a wider compliance push across coastal areas where restaurants are often converted into unlicensed clubs.

Earlier, the state government had constituted a Safety Audit Committee to frame standard operating procedures for comprehensive safety audits and licensing of tourism-related establishments. The committee has been tasked with examining mandatory approvals and safety norms, including fire NOCs, structural stability certificates and electrical safety requirements, and recommending essential safety infrastructure, firefighting equipment, emergency exits, crowd control measures and evacuation plans for such establishments.