Malviya Nagar fire tragedy: MCD sacks official over license approval

The MCD fired inspector Prince Mann for gross negligence after the Malviya Nagar fire killed 23. Mann allegedly cleared the hotel's health license a day before the blaze following a delayed and superficial inspection, deeming him unfit for duty.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has terminated the contractual engagement of Assistant Public Health Inspector (APHI) Prince Mann for gross negligence and severe dereliction of duty in connection with the devastating Malviya Nagar fire tragedy that killed 23 individuals, officials said.

The development comes as the death toll from the June 3 fire at the Flourish Inn hotel -- a bed and breakfast establishment -- climbed to 23 after two foreign nationals succumbed to their injuries during treatment. The terminated official, identified as Prince Mann, had recommended and cleared the health license for the ill-fated premises at Hauz Rani in Malviya Nagar, just a day before the deadly fire broke out.

Investigation Reveals Gross Dereliction of Duty

According to the official office order issued by the MCD's Public Health Department, which was engaged on a contractual basis in the South Zone, had left a license application related to "Tea & Snacks (without seat)" pending for an inordinate period of 78 days after it was assigned to him on March 17. The MCD order pulled up the inspector for sitting on the application until June 2, stating that he "allowed the said HTL application to remain pending without any justifiable cause... thereby demonstrating a callous disregard for procedural timelines and official responsibilities."

The civic body's investigation revealed that when Mann finally conducted a field inspection on June 2, it was done in a highly compromised manner. "You purportedly conducted a field inspection of the said premises, which has now been found to have been conducted in a perfunctory and superficial manner. You willfully ignored the patent discrepancies in the submitted documents and the factual position on the ground w.r.t. the operation of trade with gross violations," the office order read.

The order further noted that Mann recommended the grant of the license based on a "false and misleading inspection report," leading to the application being approved and disposed of at the zonal level on June 2. The catastrophic fire incident occurred the very next day, on June 3.

Official Terminated for Lack of Integrity

Taking a strict stance on the regulatory lapse, the Competent Authority observed that the inspector's conduct demonstrated a "complete lack of integrity and gross negligence," rendering him unfit for any position of responsibility.

"Therefore, in view of the foregoing, the Competent Authority is of the view that your continuation in this engagement is deemed to be prejudicial to the public interest. Accordingly, your contractual engagement is hereby terminated with immediate effect," the order, issued under the authority of the Assistant Commissioner (PH), stated. The order has been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner (South Zone), District Health Officer (South Zone), and other senior administrative and accounts officers for immediate compliance. (ANI)

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