Amritsar -A major fire broke out at the first floor of the 150 years old Amritsar Deputy Commissioner office on Wednesday morning.
It not only led to extensive damage to the office but also destroyed the invaluable records pertaining to revenue and the pre-Partition era that were stored on the first floor of the office.
The Deputy Commissioner has constituted a four-member team — an ADC, two SDM-rank officials and district revenue officer — to hold a magisterial probe into the incident.
Over two dozen fire tenders, including the ones from the Air Force, Airport Authority of India and the defence establishment, were pressed into service to douse the flames which engulfed the entire wooden first floor and the paper records there within no time.
Fire tenders from private companies and a shopping mall were also called.
The fire was first noticed by the several women staff members sitting on the first floor. It reportedly started from the portion located above ADC (general) office at around 11 am. The staff immediately rushed out and raised an alarm. Immediately, the entire staff was evacuated and the fire brigade was summoned.
However, the narrow entrance and obstacles created by the boundary walls delayed the entry of the fire tenders. The delay reportedly led to the fire spreading to other portions.
The DC’s office also houses the offices of three additional deputy commissioners, MA branch, besides other branches of the district administration.
The structure had been declared unsafe by the Public Works Department.
As per records, the first Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar L Saunders was appointed in April 1849. After independence, Nukul Sen was the 122nd and first Indian Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar.
The over 150-year-old records, which include important documents of the British period, and revenue records of the pre-Partition era have now been lost.