The Hindu Business Line : Fire Dept NOC through e-Seva centres

BUILDERS of high-rise structures need not wait for months any more to get NOC (no objection certificate) from the Fire Department. They can get the certificate through any of the 246 e-Seva centres in the State.

Cutting short a cumbersome procedure, the officials will now issue the NOC in only 15 days. These applications will be scrutinised and processed online by the Fire Services Directorate. A date for scheduled inspection of premises by technical officers will be made available at the time of receipt of application.

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, inaugurated the service on Thursday at the 31st Standing Fire Advisory Council Meeting.

Addressing the gathering, he said that violations of fire safety norms would be detrimental. Asking builders not to violate these norms, he wanted the officials not to make them run from pillar to post in getting clearances. "We should make those procedures simple."

He added that the Government had initiated remedial action on non-compliance of statutory provisions of fire safety law.

Besides fixing accountability on authorities concerned to ensure speedy implementation of fire safety regulations, steps had also been taken to create awareness among the owners and occupants of high-rise buildings to provide mandatory safety measures.

"This would not only reduce pressure on the staff but reduce delays significantly on account of manual scrutiny of the applications," a Fire Department official said. Currently, applicants are forced to wait for 3-6 months to get an NOC.

Explaining the enormity of the problem, he said that during 1981-2005, only 308 out of 3,609 high-rise buildings obtained NOC before completion of construction.

This amounted to just eight per cent of the total applications. "This was largely because shortage of human resources and multi-stage scrutiny and inspection procedures," he added.

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