NEW DELHI: Authorities are “playing with the lives of citizens” by not enforcing fire safety measures in restaurants operating in the posh Khan market, the Supreme Court said.“Where it relates to the poor people, the orders are implemented and where it relates to the rich people, it is not implemented. This is not fair,” a SC bench said, while hearing a matter related to sealing of unauthorised constructions in Delhi.
During the hearing, the bench asked Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni to find out from a Special Task Force (STF), which was constituted in April, as to what it was doing about Khan market. Nadkarni said there were two aspects, one related to encroachment and other about fire safety. Authorities were awaiting the guidelines on fire safety aspect, he said.
The bench observed that restaurants with sitting capacity of over 50 needed fire clearance and there was a tendency to keep the official capacity below 50 to avoid this clearance. “Do you want a repeat of what had happened in Mumbai? This is playing with the lives of citizens.
If God forbid, something happens there, what will you do,” the bench said. “There is a different law for rich and different law for poor.” When Nadkarni said, “law is the same”, the bench observed, “but its interpretation are different”. (With inputs from agencies)