‘Fast-track permits for fire-hit homes’

TDT | Manama

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Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Northern Municipal Council member, has called for immediate exemptions to issue building and maintenance permits for homes damaged by fires.

He said the move is meant to take account of the humanitarian and social needs of families who lost their housing and to speed up rehabilitation and repair.

Al Qubaisi said the proposal aims to let affected owners rebuild or carry out restoration as quickly as possible in cases that cannot bear delay.

He noted that some properties carry violations dating back more than ten years, which he said would be time-barred under Article 18 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

He added that the measure is directed at certain cases: families whose homes were destroyed in full, with priority for widows and orphans; shared dwellings that are hard to separate from an engineering standpoint; incidents that resulted in a death; and houses that can be fixed during maintenance provided any breach, if present, is removed.

Aim

Al Qubaisi said the aim is to help affected families and keep their social and living stability. He warned that delays in issuing permits, or refusals in these cases, deepen the hardship of residents who lost their homes and belongings.

The Council member also pointed to the financial and psychological strain many families face after sudden incidents, and called for exceptional flexibility in applying the rules to allow rebuilding without bureaucratic obstacles.