Bhopal, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Drawing a direct parallel with the deadly hotel fire in Delhi that killed 21 people, Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar on Thursday alleged “gross negligence and administrative failure” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government.
He revealed that just 38 of the 3,200 hotels and restaurants operating in Bhopal possess a valid Fire No Objection Certificate.
“In the capital city of Bhopal, public safety has been left entirely to the mercy of God,” Singhar said, terming the data “alarming” in light of the Malviya Nagar tragedy.
He cited Municipal Corporation records that show only 463 of the 3,200 hotels and restaurants in the state capital are officially registered with the civic body. Singhar questioned how the remaining establishments continue to function.
“On whose patronage, then, are the remaining establishments operating? Is the administration waiting for a major tragedy to strike?” he asked.
He said if the state of fire safety in Bhopal remains this abysmal, even in the wake of the hotel fire tragedy in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, it stands as irrefutable proof of the BJP government’s gross negligence and administrative failure.
The Delhi fire broke out on Wednesday morning at Flourish Stay BnB in Malviya Nagar. A man and a woman were found dead in a locked washroom, taking the death toll to 21, including 12 foreign nationals.
Police probing the incident found the building had only a single entry and exit point, lacked a Fire NOC, and was running 25 rooms despite permission for just six. The windows were sealed, and the main door was sensor-operated, hampering escape. Hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj was arrested within hours. During interrogation, he told police he drove past his burning hotel “out of fear.”
Singhar said the Delhi incident should serve as a wake-up call for Madhya Pradesh. Hitting directly at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, he said, “Chief Minister Mohan Yadav must answer: if the capital city itself is unsafe, from whom, and how, can the citizens of the state expect to find safety?”
Demanding urgent intervention, Singhar added that the state government must ensure the immediate inspection and implementation of fire safety measures across all hotels, restaurants, lodges, and commercial establishments throughout the state, including the capital, and take strict punitive action against any establishment found operating without a valid Fire NOC.
With only 1.1 per cent compliance on fire clearance and over 85 per cent of establishments missing municipal registration, Singhar warned that Bhopal is mirroring the same violations that led to the Delhi disaster.
He called for a time-bound audit of all commercial properties to prevent a repeat of the Malviya Nagar tragedy in the state capital.
Source: IANS
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