Varanasi Flyover collapse: Corporations play blame game
While the families grieve the death of their kin in the Varanasi flyover collapse earlier this week, the local administration and the work agency are busy playing a blame game. The district police filed an FIR against the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Ltd, a government-run entity responsible for the construction of the flyover, stating that the agency did not follow safety measures.
Former Corporation MD had written letters to the SP before
The inspection of the site found that the builders were not following safety measures such as putting up barricades or a service lane. An FIR was registered against corporation officials in February. Rajan Mittal, former corporation MD, today, however, refuted the charges saying he has five letters sent to the SP, Traffic, between November 2017 and March 2018 for regulating traffic and removing encroachments.
Traffic should have not been allowed: Mittal
Mittal claims that their concerns for the traffic had been expressed continuously in the meetings with the local administration and can be seen in the minutes of these meetings. "In fact, the traffic should not have been allowed in the area" he said, adding the project was continuously being monitored at every level with the agency working round-the-clock to meet deadlines.
Corporation should have deployed its own staff: Police
The police, meanwhile, said that the corporation responsible for the construction is supposed to deploy its own staff for traffic regulation and if they cannot do this they need to request the police. Mittal, however, replied that the staff was deployed during the casting work till February and that he was not aware on whose orders they were removed.
Corporation officials booked under culpable homicide not amounting to murder
After the collapse, Mittal sent 11 teams in all the zones to check every bridge and flyover on the safety parameters and give their reports in five days. Police booked UP Bridge Corporation officials for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, and sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act at the Sigra police station in Varanasi.
All aspects to be considered to provide justice
On how the accident happened, Mittal said that it seemed like "bearing failure" which could have suffered damage in the massive dust storm a couple of days ago. The General Secretary of the UP Engineers Association, SS Niranjan said that all aspects of the tragedy should be taken into account to reach a decision which could provide justice to those who lost their lives.
