As part of its 5T (transparency, teamwork, technology, timeframe and transformation) roadmap, the state government has decided to introduce online facility for people to obtain fire safety certificates for multi-storey private and commercial buildings from April 1, 2020.
For now, the government has also decided to empower field-level fire service officials in the districts to issue fire safety certificates to applicants, who until Tuesday had to visit the directorate of fire services in Cuttack from distant places to apply for the certificates.
According to a written statement from the chief minister’s office, an 18-day deadline has been set for officials to issue the fire safety certificates from the date of application. The field-level officials will issue such certificates expeditiously in 18 days after examining the procedural formalities.
The government’s move is aimed at bringing radical improvement in the system of grant of firesafety certificates.
It will also achieve the government’s major objective of improving the standard of living and doing business and ensure hassle-free public services under the 5T charter, the CMO statement said.
The CMO said the whole process of grant of firesafety certificates will come under the state government’s ambitious “Mo Sarkar” (my government) initiative from January 1, 2020. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik and senior officers will receive feedback from people on the quality of services rendered by the fire services officials.
On Tuesday, the home department notified new procedures for issue and renewal of firesafety certificates and fire safety recommendation in accordance with Odisha Fire Prevention and Fire Safety (amended) rules, 2019. Director general of police B K Sharma, who also heads the fire services directorate, said the role and responsibility of the competent authorities for grant of fire safety certificates after evaluating the types and height of the buildings have been clearly defined in the new rules.
According to the new rules, an officer-in-charge (OIC) of fire station not below the rank of station officer can issue fire safety certificates for a temporary structure.
A circle deputy fire officer has been empowered to grant certificate to buildings below 15 metres in height, range fire officer to buildings between 15 metres and 35 metres high and chief fire officer can issue fire safety licence to buildings with height of 35 metres and above.
