Two days after a hotel in Malviya Nagar here claimed 21 lives, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday warned officials from all concerned departments of strict action in cases involving fire incidents, unauthorized constructions, violations of fire safety norms, and other lapses that endanger human lives.
The Chief Minister stated that laws have been strictly enforced to address the issue with provisions for a maximum prison term of two years and heavy fines for guilty officials.
Furthermore, she emphasized the effective implementation of laws requiring the recovery of losses incurred by the government from the salaries, pensions, or properties of officials found guilty.
The decisions have been taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister on Friday in presence of Delhi’s Home Minister Ashish Sood, city’s top officials including Chief Secretary, Police Commissioner and other department heads.
According to Sood, the emergency meeting focused on preventing fire incidents, cracking down on corruption and negligence to ensure utmost accountability as, he said, the chief minister has taken the incidents seriously.
The minister stated that the Delhi government stands firmly with all affected families with sensitivity and commitment and that the Chief Minister is personally monitoring the situation. He said that the objective is not merely to take symbolic action but to establish a robust system that permanently prevents the recurrence of such tragedies.
The Delhi Home Minister said due to a lack of coordination among various agencies and departments in Delhi, including MCD, DDA, Fire Department, Electricity Department, and Police, strict compliance with fire safety regulations has often not been ensured.
To address this issue and fix accountability, the government has decided that District Magistrates (DMs) will play a central role, and in future, DMs will be empowered to determine accountability of officials from any department operating within their districts, recommend departmental action, file FIRs where necessary, issue show-cause notices, and take immediate action against officials found violating norms.
The government also decided to effectively implement several provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DDMA Act). Under these provisions, if owners of residential or commercial establishments are found guilty under the law, they might face imprisonment of up to one year along with fines.
Furthermore, in case of loss of life or property due to negligence, carelessness, or corruption by any government official, the official will be held personally accountable, and action might go beyond suspension and may include withholding salary, pension, and retirement benefits, as well as recovery of losses from the official’s personal assets.