Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Governor approves Punjab Fire and Emergency Service Bill 2024
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, October 27, 2024: Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has approved the Punjab Fire and Emergency Service Bill 2024. The implementation of the bill will streamline fire safety compliance and ease doing business in the state. The validity period of fire safety certificates has been increased from 1 year to 3 years.
The Bill also creates a regulatory framework to accredit third parties, monitor their activities, and impose penalties for poor performance.
Owners and occupiers of buildings will be required to obtain fire safety certificates. In addition, they will also be required to submit periodic returns to confirm continued compliance with prevention measures.
Sources of revenue will increase for the government:The Fire Administration in Punjab will now have the power to levy fire tax on all buildings in Punjab. The Fire Administration can also levy cess on fire tax. The Fire Administration can collect user charges to provide advance services related to fire prevention and control to members of the public.
Dedicated State Level Service to ensure greater fire safety: The Department has created a State Level Fire and Emergency Service. It will be headed by the Director of the Local Bodies Department who will be assisted by technical officers in discharging its responsibilities.
Greater powers for effective enforcement: The Bill lays down a framework for fire officers to conduct systematic inspections. Fire officers will be able to conduct inspections easily and issue directions to effectively neutralise potential fire hazards in a building.
The Bill empowers firefighters to take effective steps to effectively carry out firefighting operations and manage the risks and complications associated with them.
A cost-effective bill to implement: The bill introduces risk-classification where categories of buildings will be classified by the government as low, medium or high risk of fire.
The Bill also varies the severity of punishments according to the risk. The Bill ensures that the bulk of government resources are targeted at categories of buildings with a high risk of fire. For each offence separately, the Bill envisages a tiered model of punishment. There are stringent penalties prescribed for persistent non-compliance. A tiered model of punishment increases the likelihood that non-compliers will be punished.
Other features of the Bill are that it provides for formation of Fire Prevention and Life Safety Fund, establishment of a training institute and framing of rules, provision of insurance scheme, provision for installation of fire hydrants and other devices on public and private properties and penalty for violation of the same, notification of various provisions from time to time, etc.