Section 24. Fire Prevention and Life Safety measures in the pandals to be selfregulatory

24. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the erectors of pandals shall be deemed to be self-regulators for taking fire prevention and life safety measures prescribed under section 23. (2) The erector of a pandal shall display at a prominent place in the pandal, a declaration in the prescribed form and under his/her own signature to the effect that he / she has taken all the prescribed fire prevention and fire safety measures therein as notified by the State Government. (3) It shall be lawful for the Director, Fire and Emergency Services to enter and inspect the pandal with a view to verify the correctness of the declaration so made by the erector under sub-section (2) and to point out the shortcomings, if any, with directions to remove them within a specified time. If the directions of the inspecting officer are not complied with within the time so given, the inspecting officer shall seal the pandal. (4) Any erector of a pandal who falsely declares that he has complied with the prescribed fire prevention and fire safety measures in the pandal shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 39 of this Act.