Holding the “corrupt” administration in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) squarely responsible for the December 29 Kamala mills compound blaze, the Opposition Congress on Tuesday demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident, suspension of Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and slapping of a murder charge against the civic body chief.
Upping ante on the alleged rampant “corruption and irregularities” in the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC, a delegation of the State Congress–led by leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Mumbai party Chief Sanjay Nirupam–met Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and submitted a memorandum demanding a CBI probe into the fire incident in which 14 persons were killed and 55 others injured.
“We hold the BMC squatrely responsible for Apart from a CBI inquiry into the incident, we have demanded that Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta be forthwith and an offence of murder be registered forthwith to account for loss of 14 innocent lives in the fire mishap,” Vikhe-Patil said, after the Congress delegation briefed the Governor for 40 minutes about the “rampant corruption and functional irregularities” prevalent in BMC.
It may be recalled that 14 persons were killed and 55 others were injured in the massive fire that ripped Mojo's Bistro lounge, neighbouring 1 Above casual dining restaurant and london Taxi Gastro pub at Trade House, on December 29.
Vikhe-Patil and Nirupam informed the Governor that the BMC administration was very much in the know of unauthorised constructions across the metropolis and also illegal activities that go on there.
“All the same, the administration has over the years been turning a blind eye to the illegal constructions. So much so that there were hookah parlours in Majo’s Bristo lounge and 1Above restaurant which were gutted in the December 29 blaze. The inquiry report by the Mumbai Fire Brigade clearly mentions that these establishments had undertaken illegal and unsafe constructions,” they told the Governor.
The Congress leaders also told the Governor that as many as 76 innocent lives were lost in four recent mishaps – at Kamala Mills compound, Sakinaka snack mart collapse, building collapses at Ghatkopar and Bhendi Bazar. “We hold the BMC accountable for all these mishaps. All the civic officials, including the Municipal Commissioner, should be booked for murder for the loss of these many innocent lives,” they said.
In the memorandum that it submitted to the Governor, the Congress delegation among other things stated; that the BMC had overlooked rules and regulations while giving permissions for 60 to 70 hotels in the Kamala Mills compound and that owner of the premises had obtained construction permissions in violation of all the stipulations.
Among the demands that Vikhe-Patil and Nirupam made included: immediate cancellation of licences issued illegally to establishment owners on the Kamala Mills compound, conduct of a fire audit for hotels and other business establishments across Mumbai, demolition of all illegal structures, annulment of “roof-top” hotel policy unveiled recently and a thorough inquiry into permissions granted for constructions in various other defunct mill areas like Raghuvanshi mills, Phoenix Mills and Todi Mills
Apart Vikhe-Patil and Nirupam, the Congress comprised former minister Naeem Khan, leaders Janardhan Chandurkar, leader of the Opposition in the BMC Ravi Raja and State Congress secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant.