Garden Reach: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked the administration to take action against the “wrongdoers” who are responsible for the collapse of the under-construction building that killed at least nine persons and left at least 17 injured.
“If anyone has done any illegal activity, I will ask the administration to take action. I will also request the administration to look into the problems of the families whose houses have been damaged because of the building collapse,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee said at the collapse site at Azhar Molla Bagan in Garden Reach, where she went on Monday morning.
She said the building that collapsed did not have the necessary permits from the government.
The chief minister, who had a bandage on her forehead, had to leave her vehicle on Paharpur Road and walk the last few hundred metres to reach the collapse site through a maze of lanes and bylanes where a four-wheeler cannot enter.
After visiting the spot, she said: “This is a very congested area. A section of the promoters is involved in unauthorised construction. But the safety of the people who live around (such buildings) is very important. I have learned that this building has been promoted without any permission from the administration.”
Mamata wrote on her X handle: “Sad to learn about the house collapse disaster of an under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Our Mayor, Fire Minister, Secretaries and Commissioner of Police, civic, police, fire and disaster management officers and teams (including NDRF, KMC and KP teams) have been on site throughout the night for mitigating the disaster. We shall provide compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and for the injured persons. We stand by the distressed families and rescue operations shall continue.”
Mayor Firhad Hakim, who is also MLA of the area that includes the collapse site, said unauthorised construction had been going on “since the tenure of the CPM.”
“During the CPM tenure, people were forced into unauthorised construction because the administration used to take a very long time to process applications. But now we have made the process very smooth and simple. But unfortunately, even after that, some promoters are indulging in such activities,” Hakim said at the
site of the collapse in
the morning.
“I don’t know why (they are doing this).”
Asked if the local Trinamul Congress councillor was to be blamed, Hakim said: “No, why would the councillor be blamed? How is the councillor supposed
to know what is happening in the lanes and bylanes?
It is the work of the
officials (he did not specify which officials). The
administration will have
to be more strict. Action
will be taken.”
Shams Iqbal is local Trinamul Councillor councillor (Ward 134) of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
Metro called Iqbal on Monday evening but he did not respond.
The mayor announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the each of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for each injured person.