[45A. Fire and Life Safety Audit of certain buildings.- (1) (a) Fire and Life Safety Audit shall be carried out by the owner, or where the owner is not traceable, the occupier of a building, for all the occupancies mentioned in sub-section (1) of section 45 by licensed Fire and Life Safety Auditor and such Fire and Life Safety Audit shall be carried out within a period of one year from the date of commencement of Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Mah. XXIV of 2023) and thereafter, once in every two years.
(b) The owner or occupier, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Director or Chief Fire Officer or the nominated officer, a certificate in the prescribed form issued by a licensed Fire and Life Safety Auditor regarding the evaluation of the fire prevention and life safety measures in his such building or part thereof, as required by or under the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder.
Explanation.- For the purposes of the Act, the expression "Fire and Life Safety Audit" means the evaluation of fire prevention and life safety measures required as per prevalent Acts or rules or National Building Code of India in force.
(2) The Director may grant any person or association of persons as he thinks fit, a licence to act as a Fire and Life Safety Auditor for the purposes of this Act possessing such qualification and experience as may be prescribed.
(3) The duties and responsibilities of such auditor shall be such as may be prescribed.
(4) Any person intending to have or renew such license shall apply to the Director in the prescribed form and in the prescribed manner. Such application shall bear such court-fee stamp as may be prescribed and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
(5) On receipt of such application, the Director may, after holding such inquiry as he deems fit, either grant the licence in the prescribed form for a period of two years or renew the same for a like period or, for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order refuse to grant or renew the licence.
(6) Where the Director has reason to believe that any person to whom a licence has been granted has contravened any provisions of this Act or of the rules made thereunder or failed to comply with the conditions of the licence or is unfit by reason of incompetency, misconduct or any other grave reason, the Director may, after giving reasonable opportunity to show cause, for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order suspend or cancel the licence.
(7) No person other than a licensed Fire and Life Safety Auditor shall carry out the work of fire audit or perform such other related activities required to be carried out in any place or building or part thereof.
(8) No Fire and Life Safety Auditor or any other person claiming to be such Fire and Life Safety Auditor shall give a certificate under sub-section (1) regarding the evaluation of the fire prevention and life safety measures are in good and efficient condition, without there being actual such fire prevention and life safety measures.]