More than a week after a fire at a Hauz Rani bed-and-breakfast establishment killed 23 people, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has terminated a contractual public health inspector who submitted an inspection report and cleared a health trade licence application just a day before the deadly incident.
The civic body has also transferred the deputy health officer (DHO) of its South Zone to headquarters as scrutiny intensifies over the licensing process linked to the premises.
An internal inquiry found that the licence application for a “tea and snacks” establishment operating on the ground floor of the building had remained pending for nearly three months before being processed on June 2, one day before the June 3 fire that claimed 23 lives.
According to an MCD order issued on Thursday, assistant public health inspector Prince Mann was assigned the application on March 17 for inspection and submission of a report. However, the file remained pending for 78 days before Mann conducted a field inspection on June 2 and recommended approval of the licence.
Based on his recommendation, the application was approved and disposed of at the zonal level the same day.
MCD alleged that the inspection was carried out in a “perfunctory and superficial manner” and that the report submitted by Mann was “false and misleading.”
“The conduct demonstrates a complete lack of integrity and gross negligence,” the order stated, adding that his continuation in service was considered prejudicial to public interest. His contractual engagement was terminated with immediate effect.
The civic body also termed the 78-day delay in processing the application a “clear dereliction” of duty and said it reflected disregard for prescribed timelines and official responsibilities.
In a separate order, MCD transferred Dr Sanjay Sinha, Deputy Health Officer of the South Zone, and attached him to the corporation’s headquarters with immediate effect on administrative grounds.
The disciplinary action follows an examination of records and explanations submitted by officials involved in the licensing process.
Earlier, on June 8, MCD had issued show-cause notices to five Public Health Department officials as part of its probe into the tragedy.
The June 3 fire at the Hauz Rani guest house ranks among the deadliest fire incidents in the capital in recent years and has raised serious questions over regulatory oversight, licensing procedures and safety compliance at the premises.
