Surat : In a significant move to bolster the country's fire safety infrastructure, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is launching an initiative to establish model fire stations across the nation, with an ambitious budget of Rs 5,000 crore. Notably, Surat Municipal Corporation's Chief Fire Officer, B.K. Pareek, has been handpicked to join the Central Government's Model Fire Station Committee, steering this ambitious project.
The tragic Takshashila incident in 2019 in Surat catalyzed a major overhaul in the city's fire department operations and standards. Drawing inspiration from Surat's revamped fire safety protocols, the Central Government envisions elevating such standards nationwide.
Integral to this mission, the committee, now inclusive of Chief Fire Officer Basant Pareek, will draft a comprehensive blueprint to guide the establishment of these modern fire stations. Every municipality and municipal corporation in Gujarat will feature one of these state-of-the-art fire stations, each projected to cost around six crore rupees.
This marked inclusion of a Chief Fire Officer from a metropolitan municipality of Gujarat in a specialized committee by the Ministry of Home Affairs is a pioneering step. Pareek's appointment has ignited excitement and pride within Surat's administrative circles, especially resonating within the Municipal Corporation Fire Department.
