LUCKNOW, June 27 -- In wake of the Aliganj fire tragedy, commercial establishments in Lucknow are under scrutiny for failing to renew mandatory electrical safety NoCs, exposing a compliance gap in urban electrical safety regulation, officials from the directorate of electrical safety said. Official data shows that the highest number of defaulters are in the Central Zone (17,000 consumers), followed by Gomti Nagar (14,000), Jankipuram (12,000), and Amausi (7,000). Most lapses involve commercial consumers in small businesses, coaching centres, schools, nursing homes and hotels. Officials said many consumers obtain electrical safety clearance at the time of connection but fail to renew it after the prescribed three-year validity period, creating a growing backlog of expired safety certificates. GK Singh, director, electrical safety, UP, said the department will begin issuing notices to defaulters before initiating punitive action. "Safety NOCs are mandatory and time-bound. Any change in electrical load or installation without approval will lead to cancellation and fresh inspection requirements," he said. He warned that failure to renew safety certification within the stipulated period will be treated as a violation under the Electricity Act, 2003, inviting action under Section 146, which provides for imprisonment of up to three months, a fine up to Rs.1 lakh, or both. The directorate has now moved towards a more digitally monitored compliance system, where renewal tracking and inspection scheduling will be handled through its online portal. Beyond enforcement, officials said the larger concern is electrical safety risk in high-density commercial clusters where unverified load changes and outdated wiring can significantly increase the risk of fire incidents. Officials acknowledge that the high number of lapses points to a systemic awareness and compliance gap, particularly among small commercial operators....