Congress Raises Concern over Fire Incidents Reported In Ahmedabad

In Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC), Congress has raised concern over the number of fire incidents reported in the last two years. According to data, 2,696 fire incidents were registered in 2023-24. Due to such incidents, property worth Rs 138 crore was destroyed.

Congress leader in AMC Shahzad Khan Pathan said that AMC does not have enough numbers of employees in the Fire Department. As of now, the Fire Department has 540 employees. Of these, many resigned, retired, or passed away. Earlier, there were 796 employees.

New fire stations have been built due to developing areas of the city, the AMC has failed to recruit new employees into the department, leaving a substantial number of positions vacant.

Pathan marked that the fire department is facing a staff crunch as 293 positions are vacant. It includes five vacancies for deputy chief fire officers, four vacancies for divisional fire officers, 11 vacancies of station fire officers, 17 vacancies for sub-fire officers, and 129 vacancies for firemen.

The Opposition criticized the AMC for its failure to recruit fire staff. Due to such negligence, the property damage was worth Rs 138.25 crore. The opposition urged the authorities to expedite the recruitment process, and provide the fire staff with advanced equipment to enhance safety measures for citizens.