The Hindu : New Delhi News : Fire Service chief from cadre only: Sheila

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

Fire Service chief from cadre only: Sheila

Staff Reporter

Delhi Assembly passes Bill for department’s modernisation

NEW DELHI: Six years after it was referred to a select committee for incorporation of necessary amendments, the Delhi Fire Service Bill, 2007, has finally been passed by the Delhi Assembly, paving the way for upgrading and modernising the department so that it is better placed to face the challenges posed by the city that has grown both horizontally and vertically.

The Bill was passed by the House after Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit addressed the concerns of Leader of the Opposition Jagdish Mukhi and MLAs Mukesh Sharma and Bhisham Sharma over certain provisions on Monday. She declared that the post of the Director of Delhi Fire Service would always be held by its own official even though the Union Home Ministry had stated in Clause 8 (1) that “a Group A officer of the Central Government, including from among officers of the armed forces and paramilitary forces, or a fire officer of Group A” would be eligible for the post.

“The Delhi Government has decided to go ahead with its own viewpoint that the Director has to be from the Delhi Fire Service alone,” she asserted.

Further, in view of Mr. Mukesh Sharma’s demand that the Rs. 5,000 cremation money was an affront to the firemen who lay down their lives as martyrs, the Chief Minister clarified that the Delhi Government would bear full cremation charges in cases of such deaths. “As it is, such cremations take place with State honours and the department bears all costs,” she said. In all cases of death of firemen on duty during the past four years, their families have been paid a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh and a further Rs. 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s or the Lieutenant-Governor’s fund. Henceforth, a sum of Rs. 5 lakh would be provided as a minimum amount through the new legislation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail