Delhi government proposes 3-month extension for fire service amendment rules, 2025

The Delhi government has issued a proposal to extend the implementation of Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025 by three more months, after receiving only few applications from private fire safety auditors, officials said on Sunday. The proposal will now be sent to lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu for approval.

The Delhi government notified the rules on May 26 this year, introducing a framework where empanelled private auditors would inspect buildings and issue or renew fire safety certificates. While the amended rules took effect immediately, the provisions for third-party audits were set to become operational 90 days after the gazette notification.

However, due to poor response to the empanelment process and the few applications received failing to meet the eligibility criteria, the Delhi Fire Service has proposed extending the transition period by another three months. "Under the amended rules, the Delhi Fire Service is no longer empowered to inspect buildings and issue or renew fire safety certificates. The department is only processing applications received until August 24 this year," a senior fire service official said.

Officials said one of the reasons for the lack of interest could be the high level of responsibility and potential liability associated with the assignment. "Issuing a fire safety certificate is a highly sensitive responsibility. If a fire or any mishap occurs in a building certified as 'compliant', the third-party auditor could face scrutiny and may be held accountable," another official explained.

Under the amended framework, third-party auditors are divided into three categories -- L-1, L-2 and L-3 -- based on their qualifications and professional experience.