Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 23 Jun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during a high-level meeting at the Secretariat, today, directed officials to conduct a comprehensive fire safety audit across the state covering hospitals, coaching centres, large malls, hotels, commercial establishments and other public-use buildings. He emphasised that public safety is among the foremost priorities of the government and that no negligence in compliance with fire safety standards will be tolerated. Following his directions, the Chief Secretary (CS) convened a meeting and issued orders for the safety audit of all buildings in Uttarakhand.
Dhami instructed officials to immediately identify institutions where fire-fighting arrangements are not in accordance with prescribed standards and ensure corrective measures without delay. He stressed that special attention must be given to the functionality of fire safety equipment, emergency exit routes, electrical safety systems and preparedness for swift evacuation in case of disaster. He further directed that coordination be established between the fire department, district administration and related departments to complete the audit process in a time-bound manner.
Subsequently, CS Anand Bardhan issued instructions to strengthen fire safety standards in all government and non-government buildings. He ordered secretaries and district magistrates to carry out mandatory ground surveys particularly of high-rise buildings, premises in densely populated areas, complexes with unsafe exit routes and structures located in narrow lanes and passages. The campaign aims to eliminate any potential risk of fire accidents well in time.
The CS also assigned responsibility to all the departmental secretaries to ensure comprehensive safety audits within their respective sectors. He made it clear that after the surveys, all necessary fire safety norms must be strictly enforced. Officials concerned have been firmly instructed to follow up on compliance and ensure that no lapse is allowed in adhering to safety standards.
