Demands a time-bound programme for reconstructing dilapidated buildings in the city
Rescue operations underway at the site of the Hussaini building collapse near JJ Hospital. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
Hours after the building collapse, the Opposition lambasted the government saying that it was apathetic towards those living in dilapidated buildings. They demanded that such buildings be vacated and redeveloped in a time-bound programme.
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State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said, "The government is indifferent and has not been able to save precious lives."
"The government's top priority should be ensuring the safety of those residing in dilapidated buildings. This is more important than a bullet train or Samriddhi Corridor project. It seems disaster management exists only on paper," he added.
MHADA responsible
Opposition leader in the legislative council Dhananjay Munde, who visited the collapse site, blamed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). "Though the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust was given the job of redeveloping the building, it was MHADA's responsibility to ensure that the work was done. The development authority cannot just pass the buck," he said.
Munde said that the tenants were risking their lives by not vacating the houses, as redevelopment has not taken place over the past 25 years. "We need to have a time-bound programme in which legal tenants should get their homes. Most importantly, the tenants should be shifted to transit accommodation in the same area," he added.
CM promises compensation
CM Devendra Fadnavis, who was scheduled to visit the accident site later in the evening, declared a compensation of R5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. He also said that the government would bear the medical expenses of the injured.
Fadnavis added that BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta had been asked to submit a detailed report of the incident.
Rs 5 lakh
Compensation declared for the kin of each of the deceased
Related photo story - Photos: 10 Gruesome images of the Bhendi Bazar building collapse
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