Govt. will punish guilty for East Delhi building collapse: Dikshit, Khanna

NEW DELHI - Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who visited the site of the four-storey building that collapsed in East Delhi, said on Tuesday that strict action would be taken against those found guilty for the incident.

Dikshit said people have been evacuated and the area would be surveyed to pinpoint more such houses that have weak foundations and have to be vacated.

“The identification process is being done. We have put the list. We are giving double the compensation. Injured people are being treated in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital. People living in the nearby buildings have been evacuated,” said Dikshit.

“There should be a survey, and a magisterial inquiry should been done. There will be some results to it. The builder is absconding and will be caught soon. He will be punished severely so that no such incidents occur in the future,” she added.

Lieutenant Governor said: “As far as the safety issue is concerned, it will be time-bound now. This has been discussed a lot before with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and, they should give importance to such matters, and even the building department. And, along these lines the inquiry will take place. They have agreed to my suggestions.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijay Kumar Malhotra demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

“Whoever is responsible for this, whether it is the corporation (Municipal Corporation), board or Delhi Development Authority, the owner of the building who is actually responsible for this incident, there should be an investigation of all these people,” said Malhotra.

“There should be a judicial inquiry and nothing less than that. The owner could even escape if he has any political links. They say the owner is absconding, and how can a five-storey building be constructed and 200 people live in it. All these aspects should be inquired into,” he added.

Congress leader Mahabal Mishra demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the incident.

“A CBI inquiry should be carried on this. Whosoever comes into the light through the investigations should be punished. Such people should be charged under the Section 302. Whether police, MCD or Mahabal Mishra is involved in this, a CBI inquiry should be done,” he added.

The four-storey building that collapsed in East Delhi’s Lakshminagar area on Monday night has claimed 66 lives so far and left over 130 others injured. (ANI)