Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday directed that establishments lacking fire-safety equipment or violating prescribed standards must face action, days after a fire incident at a nightclub in Goa claimed 25 lives.
She issued a slew of directions during a high-level review meeting with the Fire Department at the Delhi Secretariat, an official statement said.
During the meeting, she expressed concern over the recent incident of a fire in a nightclub in Goa, in which 25 people lost their lives. She said such incidents serve as a warning that Delhi must remain constantly vigilant.
She emphasised that regular inspections of safety standards in large events, hotels, restaurants and clubs are essential to prevent such accidents.
Stressing that fire safety is not solely the responsibility of the department, she said establishment owners also have a collective responsibility to ensure that all fire safety measures are in place on their premises.
The chief minister also noted that certain complaints have been received claiming that unnecessary rules and procedures are causing delays in obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
She directed officials to identify such cases, submit a report, and prepare proposals to simplify the rules, the statement added.
The chief minister instructed the chief secretary and departmental officers to review the existing procedures, and if required, draft new guidelines so that Delhi’s firefighting system becomes swift, transparent and reliable.
Noting that the Fire Department is continuously being provided with modern equipment for firefighting, she also instructed that if the department still requires any resources, it should inform the government. The process of providing them will be undertaken immediately, the statement added.
The chief minister issued directions to the Delhi Fire Service to ensure that the process of issuing NOCs related to fire safety is made fully transparent and seamless so that hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, multiplexes and other commercial establishments do not face unnecessary difficulties.
The purpose of the NOC system is not to discourage business owners but to ensure public safety, she asserted. The chief minister instructed officers that if any rule is causing genuine applicants’ difficulty, it should immediately be brought to the government’s notice so that corrective steps can be taken. She said there must be no ambiguity or unnecessary delays in the process of issuing NOCs.
The licensing system must be clear, simple and time-bound so that business owners are not forced to make repeated visits to government offices, the statement added.
