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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the State Government for not implementing the Fire Safety Rules. 

The division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor remarked that it was not the court's job to prompt the government for every single action.

"This is not done. Are we sitting here to prompt you for every single action? Sometimes you need to do it. Is it our job? Committee recommendations are there since February 2023 and we are in December. What are you doing? Can there be anything more than this? There have been two deaths. You just have to frame appropriate regulations. The expert body consideration is with you and you have to only notify it," the bench said.

The division bench also said that every day there is a fire incident in the city.

"Fire incidents appear to be on the rise. Every other day in this city there is a fire incident and there are reports of people losing their lives," the bench said.

The high court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate and Social Activist Abha Singh seeking to implement the draft special rules and regulations for safety 2009 for fire safety buildings vulnerable to man-made disasters. 

Additional Government Pleader Jyoti Chavan appearing for the State Government informed the bench that a committee was constituted by the government which submitted its report in February 2023. 

Chavan informed the bench that the report was placed before the Ministry of Urban Development and steps were being taken to amend the Development Control and Promotion Regulations. 

The bench responded and said, "We are in December now. What is the government doing? Any laxness cannot be accepted," the bench said. 

While referring to a fire incident that took place last week where an 82-year-old mother and 60-year-old son lost their lives the bench said. 

"The manner in which these two deaths have occurred...is this what you (government) want for the people in this city...to lose their loved family members like this," the court said.

The bench then directed the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development to inform the court about the timeline that will be taken by the government to implement the rules by the day after tomorrow. 

Case title: Abha Singh vs State of Maharashtra.