Hyderabad: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Official Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin on Saturday welcomed the State Cabinet’s approval of fire safety law amendments aimed at strengthening enforcement and preventing fatal accidents. It also accused the previous BRS government of delaying reforms despite repeated fire tragedies and recommendations from the Fire Services Department.
TPCC Official Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin said the proposed changes to the Telangana Fire Services Act, 1999, would introduce tougher penalties and wider accountability. He welcomed the Cabinet’s decision during a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on November 7.
Nizamuddin praised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for initiating changes to the legislation. He said the Congress government had addressed longstanding weaknesses in fire prevention and regulatory enforcement.
According to him, the legislation originated when Telangana was part of undivided Andhra Pradesh. However, its provisions had not kept pace with expanding cities, industrial growth and rising electrical loads.
“Telangana has changed enormously in the last 27 years. Our cities have expanded, industries have multiplied and thousands of new commercial buildings have come up. But our fire safety law remained outdated. The Congress government is now correcting this long-standing failure,” he said.
Fire safety law amendments propose tougher penalties
Nizamuddin said the fire safety law amendments would substantially increase punishment for serious violations and negligence.
Under the proposed provisions, negligence causing death could attract imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Similarly, violations endangering human life could attract imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
The same proposed punishment would apply to offences involving tampering with electrical safety seals, he said.
Nizamuddin argued that existing penalties were insufficient to discourage dangerous practices. He said building owners could escape with relatively small fines despite safety failures that endangered occupants.
“The message is clear. Fire safety violations cannot be treated as minor offences. Anyone who puts human lives at risk must face serious consequences,” he said.
The proposed amendments would also make building owners and occupiers responsible for installing and maintaining firefighting equipment. This would extend accountability beyond the ownership of premises to those occupying them.
Additionally, the Director-General of Fire Services would receive powers to identify unsafe buildings, issue notices and seal non-compliant premises.
Nizamuddin said municipal authorities previously exercised much of this enforcement responsibility. Consequently, the existing arrangement had contributed to delays and regulatory gaps.
He particularly welcomed proposals to extend safety requirements beyond high-rise buildings.
According to him, several major accidents had occurred in smaller commercial establishments, warehouses, industrial units and mixed-use buildings. Such premises had not received adequate coverage under the existing legal framework.
The proposed classification of buildings into Categories A, B and C would introduce risk-based compliance requirements. These would include Fire No Objection Certificates (NOCs), fire safety certificates and self-certification.
Moreover, periodic renewals and independent safety audits would help strengthen compliance with the revised provisions.
Fire safety law amendments follow deadly accidents
Nizamuddin linked the proposed fire safety law amendments to the growing number of fire incidents across Telangana. He said the State recorded 8,861 fire incidents during 2025. These accidents resulted in 163 deaths and property losses estimated at nearly Rs 880 crore.
According to the Congress spokesperson, the death toll was the highest recorded since Telangana’s formation. He recalled the Gulzar Houz fire in Hyderabad on May 18, 2025. The tragedy killed 17 members of an extended family.
Nizamuddin also referred to the June 2025 disaster at Sigachi Industries in Pashamylaram, Sangareddy district. That industrial accident claimed the lives of dozens of workers. He further cited the Bhoiguda scrap godown tragedy and the Secunderabad hotel fire in 2022. Both incidents resulted in multiple fatalities.
“These tragedies exposed recurring problems such as electrical short circuits, ageing wiring, blocked emergency exits, inadequate firefighting equipment and poor enforcement. We cannot allow the same mistakes to claim more lives,” he said.
Nizamuddin maintained that the repeated accidents demonstrated the need for stronger prevention measures. He said inspections, functioning firefighting systems and accessible emergency exits remained essential for protecting occupants.
Congress questions BRS over delayed fire safety law amendments
The TPCC spokesperson accused the previous BRS administration of failing to modernise the legislation during its nearly decade-long tenure. He said the need to amend the 1999 Act had emerged several years earlier. The Fire Services Department had also submitted proposals to strengthen the law during the previous government’s tenure.
However, Nizamuddin alleged that the BRS administration had failed to implement meaningful reforms despite several major accidents. “The BRS government ruled Telangana for nearly ten years. Several serious fire accidents occurred during that period. Yet the outdated law remained largely unchanged. The Congress government has now taken up reforms that were neglected for years,” he said.
Nizamuddin also welcomed the proposed Fire Prevention and Life Safety Fund. He said additional financial resources would support the modernisation of fire services across Telangana.
According to him, the proposed measures could help upgrade firefighting equipment and expand fire station coverage. They could also improve personnel training and strengthen emergency response capabilities.
He stressed that prevention, rather than punishment after an accident, remained the primary objective of the reforms. Therefore, building owners, occupiers and commercial establishments must maintain functional firefighting systems and regularly inspect electrical installations. They must also keep emergency exits accessible, he said.
Nizamuddin urged the authorities to complete the remaining approval process without delay. He also sought clear implementation rules and reasonable compliance timelines for existing buildings.
“Fire safety is not a political favour. It is a basic responsibility of the government. We cannot bring back the lives lost in Gulzar Houz, Pashamylaram, Bhoiguda and other tragedies. But we can strengthen the law, improve enforcement and prevent similar disasters in the future,” Nizamuddin said.
He described the fire safety law amendments as part of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s efforts to improve public safety. Nizamuddin expressed confidence that the proposed changes, once implemented, would improve accountability and fire prevention. He said stronger enforcement would help protect lives and property throughout Telangana.