High Court seeks status of proposed Telangana Lift Act

The Telangana High Court directed the State government to place on record the status of the proposed Telangana Lift Act, observing that interim safety guidelines may be considered to prevent lift-related accidents pending enactment of a comprehensive regulatory framework

Hyderabad: Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to place on record the present status of the proposed Telangana Lift Act, which is under consideration for regulating the safety of lifts and elevators across the State.

The direction came during the hearing of a public interest litigation seeking formulation of a comprehensive legal framework to ensure safety standards in installation, operation and maintenance of lifts. The petition pointed out that several fatal accidents had occurred in recent years due to non-compliance with safety norms and absence of a dedicated statutory mechanism governing elevators.

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During the hearing, counsel appearing for Chief Electrical Inspector informed the Bench that a draft Bill for the proposed Telangana Lift Act had already been prepared and submitted to the State government and was under consideration.

Taking note of the submission, the Bench directed the government to furnish details indicating the stage at which the draft legislation was pending and the progress made towards its enactment.

The court also observed that, pending enactment of the legislation, the State may examine the feasibility of issuing interim safety guidelines, as suggested by the petitioner, in the form of government orders so as to prevent further accidents. The matter was adjourned for four weeks for further hearing.