Opposition parties in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) created a ruckus in the standing committee meeting on Friday, alleging that an order to blacklist a contractor was delayed to allow him to win the contract to build the Malad reservoir wall that collapsed, claiming 27 lives.
They also demanded higher compensation to the kin of victims.
Media reports said Omkar Contractors and Engineers, who was given the contract for the wall in 2015, was blacklisted in a nullah desilting scam in 2016. “The blacklisting order must have been deliberately delayed to give this project to this contractor. We demand action against officers who allowed this to happen. The BMC should file a police complaint against the contractor, How can the wall fall within two years?” leader of opposition Ravi Raja said. “The victims still haven’t got the compensation declared by the Chief Minister. All compound walls of reservoirs should also be inspected,” he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Rais Shaikh said, “The Municipal Commissioner ordered an inquiry within 48 hours in the Himalaya bridge collapse. But here, even after four days, nothing has happened. So many lives have been lost. When will the BMC take action against the contractor?” He also demanded ₹25 lakh each as compensation for the victims instead of the ₹5 lakh announced by the State government.
Since the BMC has blamed slum dwellers for blocking water outlets in the wall, BJP corporator Abhijit Samant said, “If officers knew this, why didn’t they take action against the slum dwellers before?”
The opposition also demanded action against the consultant who designed the wall. NCP leader Rakhi Jadhav demanded that the victims be immediately moved to BMC transit camps.
Chairman Yashwant Jadhav then directed the administration to file a police complaint against the contractor and to make arrangements for the injured immediately.
