The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bank fined for failure to ensure fire safety

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Bank fined for failure to ensure fire safety

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has imposed a fine of Rs.1.5 lakh on the Parliament Street branch of Allahabad Bank for not installing fire safety equipment in the building despite having given an undertaking to the Court two years ago.

Justice Gita Mittal imposed the fine on a petition by the bank challenging a decision of the Delhi Fire Service to disconnect the water and power supply to its building.

The bank had challenged the decision on the ground that the Fire Service had requested the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to disconnect the water and power supply before the expiry of the 90 days that it had given to the bank for installing the equipment.

In an interim relief, the Court had stayed the Fire Service’s decision when the bank gave an undertaking to it to install fire safety equipment.

However, the bank kept on delaying installation of the equipment on one excuse or another.

On one occasion it informed the Court that it had appointed a consultant for meeting the safety norms.

On another occasion, it told the Court that installation of the equipment was delayed due to the death of the consultant.

“Despite the legislative mandate, the High Court’s directions in the Uphaar fire tragedy case on complying with the fire safety norms and the undertaking given to the Court, the bank failed to implement the fire safety measures, which are in public interest,” Ms. Justice Mittal said.

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