Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government told the high court on Friday that it has finalised the model rules for gaming and amusement activities in the state and will be soon implemented.
A division bench of chief justice Sunita Agarwal and justice Pranav Trivedi was hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) over the Rajkot game zone fire incident in May this year that claimed 27 lives.
Advocate General (AG) Kamal Trivedi, appearing for the state, told the court that the government has framed the model rules for what would be called Gujarat Amusement Rides and Gaming Zone Activities (Safety) Rules, 2024.
He said the rules were framed “in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (w) of sub-section (1) of section 33 of the Gujarat Police Act, 1951,” and while the model rules were framed by the home department, the commissioners of police of various districts would implement the final rules.
When asked about the date for the rules to be notified, Trivedi said within a fortnight.
{{/usCountry}}When asked about the date for the rules to be notified, Trivedi said within a fortnight.
{{/usCountry}}When asked about the scope and area of the rules, the advocate general said that they were very wide, encompassing the definition of various types of games, procedures for the installation of amusement rides that are to be operated for a period extending three months, licensing provisions, inspection of the rides, and so on. The rules also defined amusement rides.
Amusement rides, defined under these rules as mechanical devices that carry or convey passengers along a fixed or restricted route for amusement, pleasure, thrills, or excitement, would now be subject to stringent safety regulations, according to the proposed model rules.
These rides, which include popular attractions like bumper cars, roller coasters, ferris wheels, and water slides, must adhere to specific safety standards to operate within the state, it said.
Trivedi further told the court that central to these safety measures is the Ride Safety & Inspection Committee, composed of technical experts from the state government, board, or corporation.
This committee is responsible for inspecting and certifying rides before they become operational, conducting regular safety inspections, and investigating any accidents to recommend necessary improvements, he said.
The committee operates at two levels—the City Ride Safety & Inspection Committee, overseen by the commissioner of police—and the District Ride Safety & Inspection Committee, managed by the district magistrate.
The court asked Trivedi that while it would require two weeks for notification of the rules, the government should constitute the committee and notify the constitution of the committee in another one week’s time.
“The government has woken up only after the Rajkot incident. These rules were supposed to be framed much earlier. But there were no rules in place. Now that the rules are there and once the authorities are there, the government will not be able to shift responsibility,” said chief justice Agarwal.
Trivedi told the court that before any amusement ride intended for operation exceeding three months can be installed, the organisers must secure permission from the licensing authority.
This process involves submitting a detailed application, obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various safety and structural authorities, and undergoing a review by the relevant Ride Safety & Inspection Committee.
A deadly blaze broke out on the evening of May 25 at the TRP Game Zone located in Rajkot’s Nana-Mava locality, in which 27 people, including children, were killed.
The fire is believed to have been caused by welding work being carried out at the facility, which lacked a NOC from the fire department and had only one entry-exit point, trapping many visitors inside.