Fire services cert delivery likely to go online by July-end

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha fire services directorate is likely to launch online delivery of fire safety certificates by the end of this month. Though the state government had in November last year planned to launch the project on April 1 this year, its implementation has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said an official.
The Odisha computer application centre (OCAC) of the electronics and information technology department is implementing the project. “This is part of the state government’s 5T (transparency, teamwork, technology, timeframe and transformation) roadmap,” DGP (fire services and home guards) Satyajit Mohanty said. Mohanty said following the directive by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, the field-level fire service officials would be empowered to issue online certificates for multi-storey private and commercial buildings.
A special three-day orientation programme was organised in Cuttack on Tuesday where the divisional fire officers were trained on their roles and responsibilities.
In November last year, the state government came across massive irregularities in the grant of manual fire safety certificates. Complaints came pouring in that people, mostly owners of commercial and business establishments, had been struggling to get fire safety certificates despite running from pillar to post for several days.
Once the online system is launched, applicants are likely to get fire safety certificates and fire safety recommendations within 18 days from the date of application. “The move is aimed at bringing major improvement in the system of grant of fire safety certificates and and ensure hassle-free public services under the 5T charter,” another fire officer said.
An official source said the proposed online service will be monitored under the state government’s ambitious Mo Sarkar (my government) initiative. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik and senior officers will receive feedback from people on quality of services rendered by the fire services officials.
In November last year, the state home department notified new procedures for issue and renewal of fire safety certificates and fire safety recommendation in accordance with Odisha fire prevention and fire safety (amended) rules, 2019. According to the new rules, an officer-in-charge (OIC) of fire station not below the rank of station officer is competent to issue a fire safety certificate for a temporary structure. A circle deputy fire officer has been empowered to grant certificates to buildings below 15 metres high, range fire officer to buildings between 15 and 35 metres, and chief fire officer can issue fire safety licence to buildings with height of 35 metres and above.