Mumbai, March 4 (NationPress) On Wednesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revealed that the Maharashtra government is set to enhance the lift inspection system to ensure more efficient evacuations during emergencies.

Currently, approximately 2.10 lakh lifts operate in the state, with an additional 25,000 lifts recently approved. However, limited personnel are tasked with inspecting all these lifts. Therefore, the government has made the decision to create 519 new positions to address this challenge, as it is impractical to manage the large volume of lifts with the current workforce. Yet, given the rising number of lifts, these new roles may also prove to be inadequate in the future.

In response to inquiries from members Niranjan Davkhare and Sachin Ahir regarding the routine maintenance and repair of emergency lifts in housing societies statewide, he assured the assembly that comprehensive reforms will be enacted to enhance the efficiency of the emergency lift inspection process.

CM Fadnavis elaborated that the government aims to establish a recognized third-party system for elevator inspections, akin to the accredited third-party fire safety audit system that has been initiated in Mumbai.

This system will mandate that technical inspections are carried out and that valid inspection certificates are displayed within elevators. Additionally, there will be a requirement to maintain a clear record in each elevator indicating when it was last inspected and the validity of its certification.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that a bill has been put forward in the state legislature during the ongoing Budget Session to strengthen the powers of relevant officers overseeing lift inspections. Given the increasing number of lifts, further amendments may be necessary in the future.

Moreover, CM Fadnavis announced the formation of a high-level committee to establish maintenance standards for elevators, frequency of inspections, technical regulations, and the responsibilities of elevator manufacturing firms.

This committee will comprise the Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), commissioners from other municipal corporations, and officials from the electricity department. It will be given a specific mandate, and a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for elevator inspections will be developed within the next six months.

In a different context, when addressing questions about private moneylenders and microfinance, the Chief Minister clarified that there are two categories of moneylenders in the state: licensed private lenders and illegal operators.

He stated that all loans provided by illegal moneylenders are unlawful, and citizens should feel empowered to report such cases, as the government will offer support. Furthermore, if licensed moneylenders charge interest rates exceeding the prescribed limits or breach regulatory measures, action will be taken against them.

CM Fadnavis assured that full assistance would be provided to affected individuals, and if necessary, criminal actions could be initiated, including the cancellation of the moneylender’s license.