Rohtak, May 15 -- Taking suo motu cognisance of a fire incident on May 6 at a multi-storeyed hotel in Hisar, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), chaired by justice Lalit Batra, took note of media reports describing how the blaze began in the basement kitchen before engulfing several floors. Expressing serious concern over the state of fire safety preparedness and emergency rescue infrastructure in Haryana's urban areas, the commission directed officials to conduct a statewide fire safety audit. In its May 7 order, the commission termed the incident as "deeply disturbing and alarming". The commission remarked that the fact a trapped woman had to jump from the building instead of being evacuated reflected serious shortcomings in rescue preparedness. It observed that reliance on local residents for rescue efforts prima facie pointed towards inadequate emergency evacuation infrastructure at the site. The commission sought an audit of the emergency rescue infrastructure, operational readiness of fire-fighting authorities and enforcement of statutory safety standards in multi-storeyed buildings, hotels, commercial complexes and densely populated urban areas across the state. The commission has sought a compliance report from the chief secretary, Haryana; additional chief secretary town and country planning department and the director general of fire and emergency services, regarding the status of procurement of advanced rescue equipment, district-wise availability of fire-fighting infrastructure and future plans to strengthen emergency response systems across the state. The HHRC underlined the urgent need for advanced rescue and fire-fighting equipment such as hydraulic platforms and turn table ladders, especially for emergencies involving high-rise buildings, hotels and commercial complexes. The commission asked the chief secretary to submit a report outlining policy-level decisions, fund allocation, interdepartmental coordination, the present status of procurement and operationalisation of hydraulic platforms and turn table ladders, and a clear time-bound framework for strengthening fire-fighting and emergency rescue infrastructure in the state. The commission also referred to an earlier suo motu case pending since 2022 regarding the procurement and operationalisation of hydraulic platforms and turn table ladders in Haryana. Separate reports have also been sought from the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, municipal commissioner and chief fire officer of Hisar regarding the cause of the fire, rescue operations, compensation to victims, fire safety clearances of the hotel and any action initiated for violation of fire safety norms....