Residents of the historic Gita Society in Pune's Camp area have been thrust into a major safety crisis after discovering that a contractor hired to install a lift in their building was using a forged licence. The alarming revelation has exposed critical gaps in the verification process for such crucial work, putting the spotlight on the safety of thousands of lift installations across the city.
How the Forged Documents Were Uncovered
The issue came to light when vigilant residents of the F wing in the four-storeyed building grew suspicious. Their doubts were initially raised by the contractor's claim that he had secured the necessary lift licence in an improbably short span of just five days. Acting on this suspicion, a group of residents approached the office of the chief electrical inspector in Pune to verify the authenticity of the submitted documents.
Their worst fears were confirmed. The office clarified that no such certificate had been issued for the work. Furthermore, the documents were found to be forged, with the name of a legitimate lift operator misused without their knowledge. The actual operator, upon being informed by the electrical inspector's office that he could be held liable for any accident, promptly filed a formal complaint at the Bund Garden police station on Wednesday.
Deep-Rooted Safety and Structural Concerns
Residents revealed that the problems ran deeper than just a fake licence. Mazhar Chaudhary, a society member, pointed out a glaring discrepancy: the forged certificate was issued for a ground-plus-two-storey structure, while their building is a ground-plus-three-storey structure. This fundamental error was what finally prompted the thorough verification.
Adding another layer of concern, Himanshu Ajwani, a resident from another tower, highlighted the building's inherent structural limitations. All structures in Gita Society, constructed between 1961 and 1963, are load-bearing and classified under the C category. "It is unsafe to add any new structure, such as a lift, to these towers," Ajwani stated. He lamented that the installation work began without adequate permission from all society members and continued despite objections from residents within the same tower.
A City-Wide Problem and Regulatory Challenges
The incident at Gita Society is not an isolated one, according to officials. Nitin Suryawanshi, the electrical inspector of Pune, provided a startling context. He stated that there are over 60,000 lifts installed across Pune. During recent annual inspections, his office has found 10 to 12 cases of fake licences, with matters being forwarded for legal action.
Suryawanshi admitted the limitations of the current regulatory framework. While annual random inspections are conducted, it is impossible to check every lift in the city, meaning many may be operating illegally. "Under existing rules, we can cancel the lift licence if violations are found and recommend action against the operator. However, there is no other provision for further action. We cannot even disconnect the power supply of such lifts," he explained, highlighting a significant enforcement gap.
The police have now registered an FIR against the contractor under relevant sections for forgery and cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Residents of Gita Society, home to several senior bureaucrats and government officials, have issued a stern warning to other housing societies, urging them to meticulously verify all licences submitted by contractors to prevent such dangerous frauds.
