Audit finds irregularities in issuance of fire NOCs

New Delhi: An audit, conducted for the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) for the period of 2016-17, found irregularities in issuing of fire safety certificates (FSC) and no objection certificates (NOCs).

During the course of the audit, it has been revealed that the fire prevention wing (FPW) has maintained a simple dispatch register for the issuance of NOC/FSC, which is not the standard norm. It cannot be ascertained from the registers when the validity of the existing FSCs expired.

It also cannot be ascertained by the audit how much time was taken to renew old certificates in spite of the timely application by a certificate holder.

The audit statement said, “Entries of registers are not signed by the officers-in-charge. If a certificate holder, whose validity is going to expire, does not apply for its renewal on time, what action is being taken by the department may be known to the audit. If there is a gap period between the expiry and renewal of the certificates, who will be held responsible? What amount of penalty is being imposed on defaulters in case a certificate holder applies after the expiry of validity?”

The main objective of the the fire department is to protect and safeguarding lives and property of the people residing in the area and the issuance of NOCs to high rise buildings (above 15 metres) like theatres, business complexes, office buildings, and malls.

Under Rule 26 of the DFS Rules 2010, a fire prevention wing has been set up and it is to work under the direct control of the DFS (HQ).

The main function of the FPW is to examine the building plans referred to the fire service by local authority or any other statutory authority before the construction. Subsequently, an inspection is carried out and on the recommendations of the inspection committee, the FSCs are issued. These are valid for a period of 5 years for residential buildings (other than hotels) and 3 years for non-residential buildings, including hotels, from the date of issue.