The fixed fees charged by private contractors had also raised concerns about corruption
In a significant policy shift, the Mumbai Fire Brigade has decided to discontinue the hiring of private contractors for issuing fire safety approvals for new buildings. The move, aimed at eliminating corruption, comes after amendments to the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2023.
Previously, private contractors and consultants were tasked with issuing fire sanctions for buildings up to 32 metres (approximately 10 storeys). Under the new system, 23 Assistant Divisional Fire Officers (ADFOs) will handle this responsibility, granting both provisional and final fire safety sanctions as well as No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
A Shift To In-House Expertise
Dr Amit Saini, Additional Municipal Commissioner, stated, “With the new fire regulations in place, private consultants previously hired by the Mumbai Fire Brigade to review and approve fire safety measures have been replaced by ADFOs. This shift will benefit the BMC by eliminating corruption and discrepancies in the issuing of sanctions and fire NOCs. The amendment was made two months ago, and we have begun implementing it.”
Buildings taller than 32 metres will continue to be assessed by senior fire officials, such as deputy chief fire officers.
Addressing Corruption & Inefficiencies
A senior fire official revealed that contracts with 23 private contractors, many of whom were retired fire officers or engineers, have been cancelled. These contractors were initially hired under the Ease of Doing Business initiative but reportedly lacked the requisite expertise in architecture and fire safety, leading to widespread discrepancies.
“Some contractors lacked knowledge of architecture but were still issuing approvals. After reviewing the process and interviewing private life safety auditors, we identified numerous discrepancies. A report was prepared highlighting these issues, and we decided to assign this responsibility to ADFOs,” the official explained.
The fixed fees charged by private contractors had also raised concerns about corruption. By transitioning this critical function to in-house officers, the municipal corporation aims to establish a more transparent and accountable process.
This decision underscores Mumbai’s commitment to ensuring fire safety standards are maintained while reducing opportunities for malpractice in the approval process.
