Days after a massive fire at Maharashtra’s state secretariate building, better known as the Mantralaya, killed five people and damaged three floors, the government on Monday said it would conduct fire risk assessment in all government buildings in the state.
The fire safety audit would be done in stages by the government and non-government agencies. Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal told Business Standard: “Our department is mainly responsible for maintenance of government buildings, while the ownership lies with the general administration department. If the government decides to conduct fire audit, we will implement it by installing sprinklers and necessary fire safety instruments.”
Bhujbal said it would be difficult to give the exact number of government buildings and the current status of fire safety without going through official records. However, he added the government would do everything to strengthen the fire safety applications at all government establishments.
The government’s decision comes after critics questioned the fire safety status of the Mantralaya, where the June 21 fire gutted three floors and destroyed many government files.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has already announced that an inquiry would be conducted to find out the shortcomings in fire safety at the Mantralaya. The Criminal Investigation Department will carry out an overall probe into the fire. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of five deceased in the fire.
Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar arrived at the Mantralaya on Monday as officials started their daily work in the first four floors of the building. The building, however, will remain closed to visitors.
A National Disaster Management Authority team, in its report after carrying out rapid structural safety audit at the secretariate building, has observed no major structural damage has been caused to the structure of the building which still remains sound and safe. All structural columns and beams are safe, said the report.
