Mumbai, Mar 31 (TOI):Maharashtra would soon enact its framework for appointing independent auditors for self-certification of electrical networks by building or flat owners. It would be mandatory every three to five years.

"We are awaiting detailed procedure in this regard from the centre based on which legalities for state will be worked out," a senior engineer with the state electrical department said. It may be mentioned that for entire Mumbai region there are only four electrical inspectors who had a very limited staff which cannot inspect and certify lakhs of building mushrooming fast with the real estate demand.

As per the self fire safety audit method for buildings and installations through chartered electrical engineer, a panel of engineers is to be notified for each district on the lines of certified auditors or chartered accountants. Buildings and residents will then get their circuits certified through them and thus help avoid long years of neglect to the old wirings and circuits. Such a policy decision was taken by centre in January this year. The delay has left several old structures on the verge of ghastly fires.

As the government has limited staff of six assistant engineers and 15 to 30 junior engineers with each electrical inspector in each district and the number of buildings is in several lakhs, the authority wants state to appoint chartered engineers so that buildings of residents can get their self-certification done without delays.

"This will get easy once government issues a list of engineers, their phone numbers and addresses. State may also decide on their fees based on the type of certification," sources pointed out.

"Many foreign countries follow the same method for electrical safety and government of India too wants states to follow the same. Looking into the fires and short circuit issues government could have done it immediately but old-fashioned red-tape bureaucrats appear not keen for the interests best known to them," sources told TOI.