Ahmedabad: Details of fire safety clearances granted by municipal bodies across Gujarat are not publicly available. And, the Gujarat State Information Commission has directed that this must change.The order came on an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Surat resident Arun Pathak, who had sought records of fire NOCs issued by the Surat Municipal Corporation for new constructions between Jan 11, 2023 and June 11, 2023. The fire department refused to provide the information, a position the commission found had no basis in law. During the hearing, the commission observed that while applicants can track the status of their fire NOC requests through an online portal, the details of NOCs that were already granted are not available in the public domain. The commission noted that such information is also not included in the proactive disclosure sections of municipal websites, which are mandated under the RTI Act.In its order, the commission stated that the absence of publicly available records relating to fire NOCs restricts transparency in matters concerning building safety and regulatory compliance. It emphasised that disclosure of such information is necessary in the interest of public safety and accountability.The commission further observed that there was no legal restriction preventing the fire department from sharing the information. The information officer concerned was directed to verify the authenticity of the documents submitted by the applicant within a week and provide the requested details within the stipulated timeframe after verification.In addition, the commission recommended that all municipal and metropolitan corporations in the state publish details of fire NOCs on their official websites and update them periodically. It also suggested that a standard operating procedure (SOP) be developed for maintaining and publishing such records in a transparent manner.The commission directed that its order be forwarded to the urban development and urban housing department for necessary action and implementation across civic bodies in the state.
