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The Gujarat High Court has severely criticized the state government and municipal corporation for their negligence and lack of accountability in failing to enforce fire safety norms following the tragic fire at the Rajkot TRP Game Zone that claimed the lives of 27 people.
The court questioned why the Rajkot municipal commissioner, Anand Patel, was merely transferred and not suspended after the fire, despite a demolition notice being served to the game zone in June 2023.
An interim report submitted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed to investigate the fire indicated that the municipal corporation's negligence led to the loss of lives.
The court ordered the state government to take action against the responsible officials once the SIT submits its final report by June 20.
The bench also emphasized the need to hold municipal commissioners personally liable for such incidents and ensure that they cannot evade responsibility by passing the blame on lower-level officers.
The court will resume the hearing on June 13.
The fire at the Rajkot TRP Game Zone has raised serious questions about the enforcement of fire safety norms and the accountability of municipal authorities in ensuring the safety of citizens.
Source: ‘Why wasn’t civic body chief suspended: HC rebukes Gujarat on Rajkot fire tragedy