Gujarat prepares draft rules for gaming zones, seeks public suggestions

The draft rules have been uploaded on the state home department’s website for people to raise suggestions or objections, Rishikesh Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar.

“The government will not hesitate to take action even against senior officials or elected representatives,” he added. Illustration: Binaya Sinha

Press Trust of India Ahmedabad

In the wake of the deadly fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot that killed 27 people last month, the Gujarat government on Wednesday introduced draft rules to ensure safety at such recreational facilities.

“The objective of the proposed ‘Gujarat Amusement Rides and Gaming Zone (Safety) Rules – 2024’ is to ensure that such tragedies do not recur,” said Health Minister and government spokesperson Rishikesh Patel.

The draft rules have been uploaded on the home department’s website so that people can raise suggestions or objections, Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar after the first meeting of the state cabinet after the Lok Sabha elections. Suggestions can be sent till June 25 to the home department email address ‘[email protected]’. Pursuant to Art. 33 of the Gujarat Police Act, 1951, the Commissioner of Police and the District Magistrates have the power to make rules in this regard. The final rules will be announced after obtaining the necessary approvals, the minister said.

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Regarding the Rajkot tragedy, the BJP government in the state is determined to take action against those found guilty following investigations by the local police and the Special Investigation Team, Patel said.

He added that the government will not hesitate to take action even against senior officials or elected representatives.

“The SIT is recording the statements of the officials concerned. He may summon any person to conduct an investigation. He will submit his report to the High Court and the government by June 20 and further action will be taken as agreed,” he added. said the minister.

As many as 27 people, including children, were charred in a massive fire that gutted the TRP gaming zone in Rajkot on May 25. The probe found that the property did not have a no-objection certificate (NOC) issued by the city fire brigade.

Following the incident, the state government formed an SIT headed by senior IPS officer Subhash Trivedi to find the cause of the fire, loopholes in the system and suggest steps to be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. So far, police have arrested five co-owners of the gaming zone and four government officials on charges of negligence and dereliction of duty.