“The inquiry commission would submit its report to the State government on the issues pertaining to building collapse at Moulivakkam, within two months,” according to it's chairperson R. Raghupathy. He is heading the single member inquiry commission appointed by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, to probe into the reasons behind the collapse of the 11-storey construction site on Kundrathur Main Road, on June 28. This commission would investigate in detail all aspects of the disaster that claimed the lives 61 persons and left several injured, to pin down the exact reasons and circumstances behind the building crash.
Talking to presspersons after a visit to the site, Mr. Raghupathy described the incident as ‘a great disaster’ and said that he had obtained the records and documents from Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority for scrutiny. Likewise, he would call for records from other departments such as Public Works and Revenue Departments. “I will study the reports submitted by various other departments to find out where things went wrong. I will also make suggestions on how such errors can be avoided in future,” he said.
The commission would also lay down guidelines that need to be followed by builders, planners and others involved in construction of high rise buildings in the city.
Mr. Raghupathy added that the investigations are underway by the Special Investigation Team and technical team would probe the quality of construction and structural stability of the remaining building on the site.
Residents fear allayed
While interacting with the residents of Rajarajan Nagar First Street, he said that their issues would be taken into if given as a memorandum by the residents’ welfare association. He also said that anyone who wants to file an affidavit regarding this building collapse would do so once the announcement of place of inquiry gets published in newspapers.
A resident, K.R. Vasudevan asked the administration to announce a date on which they could return to their homes. Since it is raining, everyone is in constant fear about their lives and livelihood. “So far there has been no word from the district administration about their claims,” he alleged.
