Delhi: Delhi government has cancelled the No Objection Certificate (NOC) given to 30 hotels in the vicinity, after the massive fire in Hotel Arpit Palace that claimed 17 lives. The government has also instructed the fire safety department to inspect all hotels in Delhi to check if the safety norms are being followed. 

Earlier, authorities have claimed that there were serious violations of norms in the hotels whose licenses have been cancelled and they would be sealed. The NOC was granted to 45 hotels in Karol Bagh and nearby areas out of which 30 have been cancelled. Delhi Cabinet Minister Satyendra Jain has also issued a notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi regarding this matter. 

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However, the owner of Arpit Palace Hotel, Shardendu Goel, and the licensee are still on the run. Reacting to this, Jain told that it is surprising that the owner of the hotel has not been arrested yet. He alleged that the owner probably belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party and that is the reason he has not been arrested.

Safety lapses such as the construction of a kitchen at the top floor of the building are said to have caused the massive fire. The fire claimed the lives of 17 people including a child and injured as many as 11. Call for help was also made to the fire department 45 minutes after the building caught fire. 

To counter these lapses, Jain also said that the government is planning to change the existing norms, not only for the safety of the hotel but all other buildings. He added that these changes would be introduced in a week's time. 

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