Mumbai: In a move aimed at strengthening elevator safety and speeding up regulatory clearances, the state Legislative Council on Thursday passed an amendment to the Maharashtra Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walks Act, 2017, empowering electrical inspectors at district or inspection division level to carry out inspections of lifts, escalators and moving walks before licences are granted and during periodic checks.The amendment seeks to decentralise powers that were earlier concentrated with the office of the chief electrical inspector, which currently grants licences for operating lifts, escalators and moving walkways across the state. Officials said the growing number of installations—particularly in high-rise cities such as Mumbai—has placed heavy pressure on the centralised system.Under the amendment, electrical inspectors posted in districts or inspection divisions will be authorised to inspect equipment within their jurisdiction prior to the grant of licences and conduct periodic safety inspections. The government said the step is intended to ensure quicker inspections and improve efficiency in public services.The statement of objects and reasons of the bill noted that the 2017 law was enacted to regulate the construction, installation, maintenance and safe operation of lifts, escalators and moving walkways in the state, along with all associated machinery and apparatus. However, with installations increasing rapidly, the existing inspection structure has become overstretched.The amendment also proposes consequential changes replacing references to the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Factories Act, 1948 with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.The development comes amid growing concern over elevator safety in Maharashtra. Despite the passage of the 2017 law, the rules required to fully operationalise it are still being finalised, leaving the state largely governed by the decades-old Bombay Lift Rules of 1958.Safety experts have long argued that the older framework is inadequate to regulate modern elevator systems in high-rise buildings, malls and hospitals. Recent incidents—including lift malfunctions, collapses and trapping cases in parts of the Mumbai metropolitan region—have underscored the need for stricter inspection and certification mechanisms.Officials said decentralising inspection powers is expected to help speed up approvals, improve monitoring and strengthen safety oversight as the state continues to build vertically.
