The fire at a bed and breakfast in Hauz Rani has exposed glaring gaps in the capital’s enforcement of rules and regulations, and raised questions about the wisdom of two recent Delhi government policies – one on bed and breakfasts and the other on fire safety – that propose a more flexible certification system.
On May 27, the government proposed a new fire safety framework, under which building owners can obtain fire permits through special fire auditors — to be appointed, the policy said — instead of relying solely on inspections conducted by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS).
The government said the move will reduce delays, improve efficiency and bring professional expertise to the certification process.
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The policy envisages that the role of the Financial Services Department in issuing certificates will be limited only to conducting periodic random inspections, while private sector auditors will be assigned to audit and certify buildings annually.
But experts said such endeavors could threaten the mechanism’s independence – especially against the backdrop of more than 20 devastating fires that killed 89 people in Delhi in the last five months, including the two blazes in Palam and Vivek Vihar.
“Ease of doing business is a very good and necessary principle, but it cannot be at the expense of responsibility towards the citizen. There must be stringent norms, especially with regard to fire and other safety hazards and violations which must be checked by local bodies regularly through enforcement mechanisms,” said B S Uttawar, retired additional commissioner of Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
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The court’s directions were not implemented
In March, following a fire in an apartment building in Palam that killed nine people, the Delhi government announced citywide third-party fire audits to identify safety lapses and enhance compliance. However, the judicial report was not shared, and no data was provided on the number of buildings audited. Nearly five months ago, the Delhi High Court directed authorities to urgently address deficiencies in fire safety compliance. However, implementation remained incomplete.
Familiar problems – an overcrowded building, a single ingress and egress, guests trapped on the upper floors, desperate escape attempts – have repeatedly contributed to fire tragedies. But experts have warned that the draft new fire safety system could erode accountability if major breaches occur.
Last week, the government also announced the draft B&B Policy 2026, which allows residential properties with up to eight rooms and 16 beds to operate as B&B units, introduces online registration and self-certification, and seeks to bring informal hospitality operators into the regulatory fold.
In contrast, the 2007 B&B framework relied more heavily on inspections and administrative audits prior to approvals.
Such inspections were certainly nothing in the case of Hauz Rani’s house which had 26 rooms as against the six sanctioned rooms.
Experts said the government may be trying to expand tourism, but a relaxed regime would lead to rampant violations. “A city where unauthorized floors are routinely added and residential properties are converted into commercial without approval requires stronger oversight, not just easier certification,” said Sarika Panda, urban planner and founding member of the Rahagiri Foundation.
