Gurugram, June 20 -- Most fire extinguishers in the Sector 34 Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) headquarters and the Mini Secretariat in Sector 11 - which houses key government offices - are overdue for maintenance or refill, an HT spotcheck found on Friday. At the six-storey Mini Secretariat, which also houses the Gurugram deputy commissioner's (DC's) office, each floor is equipped with six to seven fire extinguishers. However, service tags on most units indicated that maintenance was due in February or March 2025, while a few were due for servicing in March this year. Fire department officials said that unserviced fire extinguishers often lack the required inspection, testing, refilling, or servicing typically scheduled by a specific date, which can lead to equipment failure during emergencies. Narendra Yadav, Gurugram's fire safety officer (FSO), told HT that the no objection certificate (NOC) has not been renewed for the Mini Secretariat building. The NOC serves as proof that a building complies with prescribed fire safety norms and has the necessary fire fighting and emergency response arrangements in place, Yadav said. He added that the fire NOC of the MCG office has also not been renewed. A June 2 letter from the deputy commissioner's office, which HT accessed, stated that the Mini Secretariat requires significant upgrades to its fire safety arrangements to comply with the Haryana Fire Service Act and other prescribed safety standards. The letter was directed to the Public Works Department (PWD), which is responsible for maintenance of the building. Uttam Singh, Gurugram DC, told HT that PWD has been directed to conduct a comprehensive technical inspection of the building and take immediate action for installation of fire detection and alarm systems, provision of fire extinguishers at designated locations. When asked about the expired NOC, Singh said: "We have directed the PWD to obtain the necessary fire safety certificate from the competent authority, if required, and to accord the matter the highest priority." Charandeep Rana, executive engineer, PWD, said that a Rs.1.34-crore tender has been sent to the department headquarters for approval to upgrade the building's fire safety infrastructure in line with National Building Code (NBC) norms. The proposed works include installing fire hydrants, hose reels, sprinklers and pumps to enhance fire safety preparedness on the premises, he said. Navin, another executive engineer at PWD, said that as per the directions by the DC office, PWD has taken cognisance of the matter and asked the contractor to get the fire extinguishers refilled. "This will be done within the next two or three days," he said. A similar situation was observed at the MCG office, where fire extinguishers were found to have exceeded their scheduled maintenance dates. Service tags on the units indicated that maintenance was due in September 2025. A senior MCG official said that Gurugram Technology Park Limited (GTPL) is responsible for the building's maintenance. "They have been directed to replace the current fire extinguishers with new ones and upgrade the fire safety system in the building," he said. A GTPL official said that all fire extinguishers at the premises will be replaced and additional units will also be installed. "Work is already underway. A consultant has been engaged, and we are working to strengthen the fire safety system in accordance with prescribed norms," she said. The need for adequate fire safety equipment has gained urgency following a recent fire incident at the Gurugram district court complex on May 25 and a minor short-circuit incident at Vikas Sadan on Thursday....