The State Government has informed the Gujarat High Court that it is first “focusing on hospitals and schools” to ensure every building has an NOC from the Fire Department.
The submissions were made before a division bench of Justice NV Anjaria and Justice AP Thaker, which was hearing a public interest litigation by advocate Amit Panchal about fire safety on Wednesday.
The petitioner-advocate also produced the report of Justice DA Mehta Inquiry Commission into the fire incidents in Shrey Hospital, Ahmedabad, and Uday Shivanand Hospital in Rajkot last year that killed all 13 Covid-19 patients.
The high court observed that the authorities were expected to act “in a time-bound” manner since the compliance of the fire safety norms “is an issue which can brook no delay in view of the directions of the apex court and further in view that it involves life and safety of people, including the class of patients and students”.
However, Advocate-General Kamal Trivedi insisted that the State was much better off than the earlier “horrifying situation.”
