BBMP gets stern directive from Urban Development Department as Public UtilityBuilding tops list of fire hazard structures; other depts pulled up for waiver claim
Fire safety in government office buildings has emerged as a major issue with most of the departments ignoring notices issued by the Fire and Emergency Services Department to upgrade their respective fire safety norms. The Urban Development Department (UDD) has now asked government department heads to take up the responsibility of upgrading fire safety norms at their respective department office facilities on a priority basis.
D Satya Murthy, additional chief secretary, UDD, who chaired a meeting with officials from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Public Works Department (PWD) and the fire department, told Bangalore Mirror that the state government is not responsible for the fire safety in various departments as that would be the responsibility of respective department heads to ensure that their facilities were fire-proof and that the general public visiting their offices and those working there were safe.
The UDD has issued a stern directive to all the government departments – including BBMP – to ensure fire safety. All the departments have to arrange for the funds required to upgrade fire safety measures and follow strict guidelines issued by fire departments, he said.
Murthy said PWD merely constructs the government buildings, but is not responsible for ensuring that fire safety norms are followed or that its infrastructure is upgraded to ensure public safety from fire hazards.
Murthy pointed out that government departments had claimed that all of them were exempted from taking fire safety measures. “But they were not able to show me the exemption order. I have clearly informed them that under the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, no government offices are exempted and that it is responsibility of all the departments to take authorised sanction plan and construct the same, besides taking fire safety measures.”
When the fire officials present at the meeting pointed out that none of the departments had come forward voluntarily to upgrade fire safety measures despite notices being issued to them on several occasions, Murthy asked them to write directly to the chief secretary to ensure that the fire safety orders were implemented in Bengaluru.
The state government has to submit a report on Monday on the steps being taken to upgrade fire safety measures at various offices in government buildings like Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha, Multi-Storeyed Building, BBMP, BDA, magistrate court building on Nrupathunga Road, and the City Civil and Sessions Court Complex near Cauvery Bhavan, Visvesvaraya Tower, Technical Education Building, Legislators’ Home and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate courts.
Date: November 17, 2014