A forensic team officer inspecting the premises of the hotel where 21 people died following a blaze on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Delhi government will invoke existing legal provisions under various Acts to penalise officials whose negligence or collusion allows illegal construction, violation of safety norms, and other such lapses, Home Minister Ashish Sood said on Friday, two days after the blaze in a six-storey bed-and-breakfast facility (B&B) in Malviya Nagar in which 21 people were killed.
Existing legal provisions
“The government has decided to invoke the Disaster Management Act, 2005, under which violating government orders can lead to a jail term of up to two years,” the Minister told the media.
He said the government will hold officials found guilty of negligence or collusion personally accountable in cases of loss of life or property. In such cases, action will go beyond suspension and may include withholding salary, pension, and retirement benefits, as well as recovery of losses from the official’s personal assets, added Mr. Sood.
He said the government will also invoke provisions of the Revenue Recovery Act, 1890, against owners, builders and officials involved in illegal construction.
Revenue Recovery Act
“Under this Act, losses can be recovered from property owners and officials, whose pension, salary, post-retirement benefits and properties can be attached. The government will work on this. Corruption will not be tolerated,” the Minister said following a meeting on fire safety measures chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta earlier in the day.
Crackdown on violations
Regarding the crackdown on violations of building by-laws, he said directions had been issued to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi Commissioner (MCD) Sanjeev Khirwar to immediately seal all construction work exceeding the approved limit of ground-plus-four floors.
An official said, “For buildings where the approved limit of ground-plus-four floors has already been breached, notices will be issued first and then action, including sealing and demolition, will be undertaken.”
The Home Minister said strict compliance with fire safety regulations has often not been ensured due to a lack of coordination among various agencies and departments in Delhi such as the MCD, fire department, and police.
DMs to play central role
“To address this issue and fix accountability, the government has decided that District Magistrates (DMs) will play a central role. In the future, DMs will be empowered to fix accountability of officials from any department operating within their jurisdictions, recommend departmental action, file FIRs where necessary, issue show-cause notices, and take immediate action against officials found violating norms,” he said.
He added that joint committees under DMs will be constituted, comprising senior officials from various departments.
Published – June 06, 2026 01:21 am IST
