Despite its own engineers saying the P-North ward office needs repair, nothing is being done to ensure the safety of the nearly 250 staff members working there, except one
Cracks on a beam and ceiling of the office and (right) repairs being carried out at the P-North ward assistant commissioner's office.
In a case of failing to practice what it preaches, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is carrying out a structural audit across the city ahead of the monsoons and issuing notices to owners of various buildings to repair the structures, is putting the lives of its own employees at risk.
Red alert: Cracks on a beam and ceiling of the office and (right) repairs being carried out at the P-North ward assistant commissioner’s office. Pic/Ronak Savla
ADVERTISEMENT
The ceilings, beams and columns of the civic body’s P-North ward office in Malad (West) have developed cracks and there have also been complaints of a slab collapsing. Its own engineers have said that the office needs repairs and they are being carried out, but only in the ward assistant commissioner’s office.
Shocked by this, ward committee chairman, Cyril D’souza — an Independent corporator — has written to the municipal commissioner and mayor, asking why funds have been sanctioned to repair only the assistant commissioner’s officer and not the entire building. The chairman has pointed out that the ground-plus-two building has almost 250 municipal employees working from 9 am to 5 pm or longer, and yet no repairs are being carried out to ensure their safety.
Cyril D’souza said, “There has been an issue with this ward office building for a long time but things are being done keeping only the assistant commissioner in mind, and the employees are not being taken care of. Hence, I have written to the municipal commissioner and mayor, asking them to conduct an inquiry and begin repairs of the whole building, and not just of the assistant commissioner’s office room, which he has also extended by taking in some of the assistant engineer’s area.”
Despite repeated calls and messages, Devendra Kumar Jain, assistant commissioner of P-North ward, was not available for comment.
250
The approximate number of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) employees that work out of the
P-North ward office
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
