Establishments found operating without mandatory fire-safety compliance and government approvals will now have to pay an annual fire and emergency services fee to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), with the amount linked to the built-up area of the premises.
Such establishments will have to renew their final NOC and submit Form B in January and July, certifying that their installed fire-safety systems are functional and in proper condition. The move follows amendments to the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006. The charges have been linked to the Annual Statement of Rates (ASR), with the current ASR mentioned in the PMC order at ₹ 27,951 per square metre.
Ganesh Sonune, chief fire officer, PMC, said the civic body has decided to levy fines against establishments sealed during the drive and would take strict action against establishments that failed to comply with fire-safety requirements. “As per the municipal commissioner’s directions, strict action will be taken against establishments that fail to comply with fire-safety regulations, and such establishments will be closed,” he said. The civic body said establishments for which a final fire department no-objection certificate (NOC) is mandatory will also have to pay the annual fee one year after the date of the final NOC. The PMC said the inspection drive would continue and establishments found operating without the required approvals or safety measures would be liable for action under the applicable provisions.
The civic administration has directed the fire brigade to recover the prescribed fee from establishments found to be operating without the required approvals and fire-safety measures, according to an order issued by the department on Thursday.
