Applicants seeking fire safety certificates for their buildings will not have to come to the Directorate of Fire Services from far off areas any more. State Government on Tuesday decentralised the power of issuing fire safety recommendations and certificates to field level officials to ensure safety during fire mishaps in all types of buildings, premises and occupancies.
As per the new norms, fire safety certificates will be issued within 18 days of receipt of application. Field-level officials will issue such certificates expeditiously after following the procedural formalities. A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated that decentralisation of power will also enable the Government to realise one of its major objectives of ease of liveability, doing business and meet hassle-free service delivery under the 5T initiatives of governance. “The move will bring about a radical improvement in the process of obtaining fire safety certificates. The whole process will be covered under Mo Sarkar initiative from January 1 to take random citizen feedback on service delivery,” it added.
The State Government has also decided that the process of obtaining fire safety certificates and fire recommendations would be made online. The best of practices will be implemented from April 1, 2020 as part of 5T charter of governance. As per the order issued by the Home department, Officer-in-Charge of Fire Station not below the rank of Station Officer is competent to issue fire safety certificate for temporary structure after inspecting the premises under intimation to the next higher authority.
In case of visit of VIPs or VVIPs, the range fire officer will direct any officer superior to the OIC to issue fire safety certificates and recommendations. If the OIC is absent, the certificate will be issued by the station officer of nearby fire office and if he is absent assistant fire officer of the district concerned will issue it. The fire service inspection will be conducted within 15 days of the receipt of the application form provided only after building plan approval as per the Odisha Development Authority (Common Application Form) Rules, 2016 is mandated by the planning authority.
