Delhi launches online portal for ‘hassle-free renewal’ of fire safety certificates

The NIC-developed system retains existing fees but removes manual submissions and routes applications digitally to fire officials for faster processing.

The Delhi government on Saturday launched a dedicated portal enabling complete online renewal of Fire Safety Certificates (FSC), a system chief minister Rekha Gupta described as a “transformative shift” in the delivery of statutory clearances. Gupta inaugurated the platform at the Delhi Secretariat, noting that the fully digital process eliminates the need for a single physical visit.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta at the launch of the portal at Delhi Secretariat on Saturday. (Vipin Kumar/HT)

The application fees and fee structure for FSC renewals remain unchanged under the new system.

Developed jointly by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Delhi government, the portal will allow citizens and establishments to apply, undergo inspection and receive renewed FSCs entirely online. Gupta said the initiative builds on reforms undertaken over the past eight months to streamline fire permits, licences and other approvals. “Earlier, applicants had to navigate multiple agencies and lengthy manual processes. We have made file movement digital, accountable and transparent. Citizens can see exactly where their application is pending and with whom,” she said.

The CM added that the system aligns with the Centre’s Digital India mission and the government’s push for a faceless, technology-driven service framework.

Delhi home minister Ashish Sood said the portal reflects the principle of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”. Only four details are now required for FSC renewal, premises address, PAN number, CA number from the electricity bill and the previous FSC number. “The rest is handled by the department. Even the annual self-certification during the validity period can be submitted online,” he said.

Sood added that the earlier manual mechanism involved multiple office visits, hard-copy submissions and opaque tracking, often causing delays. Under the new workflow, applications will move digitally to the scrutiny assistant, assistant development officer, and senior fire officials, with inspection reports uploaded on-site and final FSCs auto-generated and emailed.