Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): The Fire Safety and Audit Bill will have provision for imprisonment up to six months or penalty up to Rs 50,000 or both for failure to make water arrangement as part of fire safety measure.
The Urban and Administration Department (UAD) is giving final touches to the draft of the Fire Safety and Audit Bill. Once the draft is finalized, it will be tabled before Cabinet and then Assembly for approval.
A senior officer of Urban Administration Department (UAD) said to “Free Press” that draft of the Fire Safety and Audit Bill is almost ready and once it gets a nod from the government and Assembly, then it will be implemented in the state.
The decision to come with a fire safety audit bill comes following a massive fire in a private hospital in Jabalpur last month in which eight people were killed. The minister for department of urban administration Bhupendra Singh had directed for a fire safety audit bill to assess and regulate fire safety standards in establishments including commercials and residential.
The department authorities have been working on the draft which reportedly has been prepared on the lines of Central government’s Fire Safety And Audit Act. As per the draft proposal, under sub section (3), owners of buildings will ensure that multilevel buildings or special buildings are equipped with an automated sprinkler system, fire alarm and fire extinguisher system to prevent a fire incident.
The chapter four of draft speaks about ensuring availability of water during emergencies. Under the head of violation of water supply provision, draft says that anyone who violates any provision of chapter four will be liable for punishment of imprisonment up to six months or penalty up to Rs 50,000 or both. The chapter says that drawing water from any source of area will be legal for fire extinguisher officers which he thinks best at the site for controlling the blaze.
If a person has installed a ‘Pandal’ and makes a false announcement that he has followed all fire safety measures then under section 41 of the Bill, his act will be a punishable offence.
