The Bill, after getting approval from the Law Department, will be tabled in the Assembly during the next Budget session, scheduled for January, in order to amend the Kerala Fire Force Act of 1962.Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has proposed amendment to the Kerala Fire Force Act of 1962 to introduce 'fire tax' with an objective to raise funds for the activities of the Fire and Rescue Services Department.
The proposal was put forth in the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services draft bill. The proposed tax should be at least 3 per cent of the total property/building tax levied by a local self-government institution.
After the draft was discussed in detail by top officials of the Fire and Rescue Services Department and the Home Department in the presence of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, director general of fire and rescue Tomin J Thachankary handed over the report on the draft bill to additional chief secretary (Home) Subrata Biswas.
The Bill, after getting approval from the Law Department, will be tabled in the Assembly during the next Budget session, scheduled for January, in order to amend the Kerala Fire Force Act of 1962.
Local self-government institutions will be responsible for collecting the fire tax. The fund would be utilized to improve the functioning of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services with a view to enhancing the security of the public.
The new bill was formulated after assessing the existing rules and fire tax structures followed by the states including Delhi, Maharasthra, and Gujrat as well as the central government's Model Fire Services Bill, officials said.
Penal provisions
People who make hoax calls to the Fire and Rescue Services Department will be prosecuted under the new law. Such acts will invite a penalty of Rs 10,000 and 3-month imprisonment, or both. Data showed that the fire and rescue offices across the state receive around 200 hoax calls a year.
The other major recommendations in the draft bill are as follows:
» Firefighters should be allowed to take water free of cost from any source in the area to extinguish fire.
» If firefighting operations are obstructed due to presence of walls or buildings at the site, they could be demolished. A fair amount of compensation would be paid to the owners.
» Earth moving equipment and similar machineries owned by individuals and private operators could be used for rescue operations by paying rent.
» The fire and safety clearance certificate should be renewed once in two years.
» Creation of a permanent fire prevention wing at the Office of the Director General of Fire and Rescue.
» Hotels with more than 100 rooms, cinema halls with a seating capacity of over 1,000, and structures of more than 50-meter height should ensure the service of a fire safety officer round the clock.
» Obstructing firefighters from discharging their duty would invite a fine of Rs 5,000 and three-month imprisonment.
» Those who fail to adhere to safety norms would be punished with three years' imprisonment, or Rs 25,000 in fine. Where the failure continues, an additional fine of Rs 1,000 will be slapped every day.
» License would be made mandatory for consultants in the field.
» The department would offer training programs in firefighting by charging fees.
» Three-year imprisonment and a fine equivalent to the offender's twelve-month salary for accepting bribes.
