The Hindu 08.12.2010
Five suspended for Lalita Park building collapse
Staff Reporter
| They include an assistant engineer, a junior engineer, two licensing inspectors and a house tax inspector of MCD |
‘Action taken as the officials failed to report illegal constructions'
‘More heads likely to roll once the probe report is submitted'
NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has suspended five officials in connection with the Lalita Park building collapse incident in Laxmi Nagar on November 15 that that killed 70 people. The decision was taken on the basis of the preliminary enquiry report submitted by the MCD Chief Vigilance Officer to the Municipal Commissioner K. S. Mehra on Tuesday.
An assistant engineer, a junior engineer, two licensing inspectors and a house tax inspector of the MCD have been placed under immediate suspension on charges of dereliction of duty. One of the persons, Vimal Sharma, licensing inspector who has been suspended, is dead so no action can be initiated against him.
According to the Vigilance Department, action has been taken against these officials as they failed to report illegal construction being carried out in their area.
An MCD official said: “The Deputy Commissioner of the zone performs multi tasks and cannot be held responsible for not doing site inspections. That is the task of the inspectors. The issue of illegal construction was never bought to the DC's notice. We have suspended the licensing inspectors and tax inspectors as a factory was running inside the building without a licence. Also, if commercial activity was being carried out commercial tax should have been collected.”
As per the preliminary report, unauthorised construction of two floors in the Lalita Park building was carried out during 2004-05. As the building had never been booked for any illegal construction by the MCD, the Vigilance Department had to check electricity and water records of the building apart from taking help from the Delhi Police in ascertaining the year when illegal construction took place. Information provided by the Survey of India also aided the investigation.
According to the Vigilance Department, a detailed investigation is still being carried out and more officials could face similar action in the coming days when the entire report is submitted.
MCD Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia said: “On the basis of the preliminary report five officials have been suspended. After the probe the service of these suspended officials might be terminated and more officials might also come under the scanner. It is the Congress which was ruling the MCD at that time and needs to do the explaining now as illegal construction took place during its tenure.”
