5 days ago
Telangana High Court directs electrical inspectorate to respond to PIL calling for lift safety law
While hearing a PIL petition regarding rising lift-related accidents, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday allowed the impleadment of the Telangana Department of Electrical Inspectorate (TGDEI) as the competent authority to oversee lift safety in the state, and directed the department file to its response within two weeks.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Mohiuddin was hearing the Public Interest Litigation, which arose from a letter written by advocate Barkat Ali Khan to the acting chief justice on March 14, 2025, highlighting the urgent need for a statutory framework to regulate the installation, maintenance, and safety of lifts.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the high court had earlier converted the letter into a PIL petition and issued notices to the chief secretary, the principal secretary of municipal administration and urban development, and the law secretary, seeking the state's position and measures undertaken to prevent lift accidents.
During Wednesday's hearing, Barkat Ali Khan, who is assisting the court in the matter as the petitioner, underscored the lack of a comprehensive legislative framework and submitted that the TGDEI is the competent authority to oversee lift safety, and sought its impleadment as a necessary party.
The bench granted the interlocutory application for impleadment and sought a response from the TGDEI in this regard within two weeks.
In his letter, Khan wrote that the absence of a specific lift safety law in Telangana was a significant public safety concern. Immediate legislative intervention is necessary to establish regulations, ensure accountability, and safeguard the lives of citizens, upholding the principles enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India, he wrote.
Khan sought a direction for the state government to enact new rules, guidelines, or legislation governing lifts and moving walkways in both public and private spaces in Telangana.
