Termination of top Ahmedabad fire officer, ‘confusion’ over AMC order & a clarification

An order issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on August 10 appointing two additional chiefs to the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) has led to confusion among lower-rank staff. The order, issued after CFO Amitkumar Anandrao Dongre's arrest by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), gave CFO and Head of Prevention Wing positions to two Additional CFOs, leaving unclear who would sign Fire Safety Certificates (FSCs) for buildings in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's largest city.

Mithun P Mistry was named interim CFO with final authority on all AFES matters, including FSC approvals, according to Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Bancha Nidhi Pani. The AMC has not yet decided on the selection process for the next full-time Chief Fire Officer, but plans to address the matter promptly. Former CFO Dongre was arrested and granted four more days of remand by the ACB, while his accomplice, Bhavsinh Pratap Jhala, was sent to judicial custody and later shifted to Sabarmati Central Jail.