Maharashtra Accelerates Real Estate Clearances with Decentralized Fire Safety Approvals
Maharashtra's Fire and Emergency Services has delegated fire safety approval powers to district-level officers, aiming to reduce delays and streamline the real estate clearance process.
Real EstateFire SafetyMaharashtraBuilding ApprovalsDecentralizationReal Estate PuneJul 18, 2025
The directive, issued on Wednesday, aims to ease bottlenecks faced by developers and promoters due to a shortage of senior fire officials, especially in areas outside urban jurisdictions. The state’s Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulation, 2020 (UDCPR) mandates that fire safety scrutiny be conducted by Chief Fire Officers. However, delays in the appointment of 36 Assistant Directors and Fire Officers across districts have led to this temporary measure to ensure continuous enforcement of fire safety regulations.
The official order, issued by the Director, MFES, states, “In exercise of powers under Section 47(2) of the Fire Act, powers are hereby delegated to Local Fire Officers in areas lacking Urban Local Bodies or Special Planning Authorities.”
The delegation has been meticulously mapped, assigning specific districts and talukas to designated fire officers, including those from MIDC, PMRDA, and local municipal fire departments. For instance, Vijay Rane will handle Panvel, Pen, and Uran in Raigad, while Deven Potphode (CFO PMRDA) has jurisdiction over vast regions in Pune district, including Daund, Baramati, Junnar, Maval, and more. Vaibhav Tandel (MIDC Tarapur) will oversee fire scrutiny in Palghar district, covering industrial hotspots like Vasai and Boisar.
Additionally, Annexure II outlines the types of buildings these officers can approve, based on height, built-up area, and type of occupancy – ranging from residential and educational buildings to malls and hazardous industries.
In a tech-forward approach, all fire safety proposals will be processed online via the MFES portal www.mahafireservice.gov.in. User credentials have been distributed district-wise to officers, with a strong push for transparency and accountability.
Provisional fire approvals must be cleared within 21 days of application (7 days each for scrutiny, fee issuance, and approval). Final fire NOCs must be issued within 14 days post-site inspection. Fire fees must be paid via NEFT only, to accounts listed in Annexure IV. Any other payment mode will be rejected outright.
“This decentralisation is a welcome step towards faster real estate approvals, especially in districts where developers have faced months-long delays,” said an officer from the Urban Development Department on condition of anonymity.
The order comes into immediate effect and nullifies all previous delegation orders. MFES has also confirmed that Building Plan Management System (BPMS) software will soon be integrated to auto-sync fire safety approvals with building plan sanctions, a move expected to further cut down red tape.
“The decision by Maharashtra Fire Services to delegate fire safety approval powers to district-level officers is a significant step towards faster and more efficient project clearances. It will benefit not only metro cities but also smaller towns, where delays have often slowed down construction timelines. We welcome this positive outcome. We also believe that further integration of approval systems across departments will help establish a seamless, single-window clearance process that the industry has long been asking for,” said Kapil Gandhi, CREDAI.
“The delegation of powers to district-level officers by Maharashtra Fire Services is a much-needed and timely step. It will help reduce delays and improve the efficiency of fire safety approvals. In the PMRDA region, developers often face a wait of nearly three months for fire NOCs due to limited staffing, with just one fire officer managing both PMC and PMRDA areas. This move will ease the bottleneck and support timely project delivery. We also recommend that the entire process be made fully online and contactless to ensure transparency and faster clearances,” said Sanjay Deshpande, Managing Committee Member, CREDAI Pune.
Santosh Warick, Director Maharashtra Fire Services, said, “This is to stop the gap arrangement and a decentralised pattern has been adopted for smooth and easy function. All the fire stations in respected district Chief Fire officers will be heading it. Soon there will be an Assistant Director Post created via competitive examination to have more uniformity and such benefits will be available online for smooth and easy function.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main goal of delegating fire safety approval powers to district-level officers?
The main goal is to reduce delays and streamline the real estate clearance process by decentralizing the approval process and distributing it to local fire officers.
How will the online processing of fire safety proposals benefit developers?
The online processing via the MFES portal will increase transparency and accountability, and it will speed up the approval process by reducing the time required for scrutiny, fee issuance, and final approval.
What are the strict timelines for provisional and final fire NOCs?
Provisional fire approvals must be cleared within 21 days of application, and final fire NOCs must be issued within 14 days post-site inspection.
How will the integration of BPMS software further streamline the process?
The integration of BPMS software will auto-sync fire safety approvals with building plan sanctions, reducing red tape and creating a more efficient and seamless approval process.
What is the expected impact of this move on real estate projects in smaller towns?
This move is expected to significantly reduce delays and improve the efficiency of fire safety approvals in smaller towns, where delays have often slowed down construction timelines.
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