Kolkata Warehouse Collapse: CM Adhikari Blames TMC, Orders Construction Freeze

Top Summary

• What happened: A warehouse roof collapsed in Kolkata's Garden Reach, killing nine people and injuring nineteen.
• Why it matters: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari blames the previous Trinamool Congress government for faulty sanctions, initiating a sweeping four-week construction ban and audit across Kolkata and surrounding areas.
• What changes: All construction projects in designated areas will halt for four weeks for audit; a new committee will review all sanctioned building plans. Victims' families receive Rs 10 lakh, injured Rs 1 lakh.
• Who is affected: Families of the nine deceased, nineteen injured individuals, developers, construction workers, former KMC officials including former mayor Firhad Hakim and OSD Kali, and residents in areas under the construction ban.

Tragedy Strikes Garden Reach, CM Announces Probe

Kolkata's Garden Reach area was plunged into mourning after a warehouse roof collapse claimed nine lives on Thursday morning. Four of the injured remain in critical condition, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed in the Assembly.

The government has announced substantial compensation: Rs 10 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each for those injured. Bodies of five victims have been released, with post-mortems underway for four others.

Sweeping Construction Ban and Audit Ordered

In response to the tragedy, CM Adhikari declared a sweeping four-week ban on all construction activities across key areas including Kolkata, Rajarhat-Newtown, Maheshtala, Budge Budge, Pujali, Sonarpur, Baruipur, and Bishnupur-rural area.

A 12-member committee has been formed to audit all ongoing construction projects and sanctioned building plans within these regions. Led by Additional Chief Secretary Rajesh Pandey, the committee includes experts from RITES, IRCON, IIT-Kharagpur, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, and Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey.

"For four weeks no construction work will be allowed... All building plans sanctioned will be audited by this committee. Till the audit is completed we will not allow any construction to continue. Then we will conduct a probe and attach properties [of those involved]. Just wait. We will make no compromise with people's lives," Adhikari stated emphatically.

Blame Directed at Previous TMC Government

Waving documents, CM Adhikari squarely blamed the previous Trinamool Congress government and former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim for the disaster. He highlighted that the building plan was sanctioned on January 17 this year.

"This [incident] is a consequence of your sins. With bribes you have turned the city of joy into the city of death. Despite multiple incidents you did not learn any lessons, you did not take corrective measures," Adhikari alleged, directly addressing the Trinamool chief whip.

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Adhikari further claimed a "faulty plan with structural defects, faulty designs" was cleared by the former mayor. He stressed that these critical documents bore the signature of former Mayor Firhad Hakim, questioning how many similar faulty plans might exist.

Arrests Made, Broader Investigation Underway

So far, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the collapse, with more arrests anticipated. The Chief Minister indicated that engineers who failed in their duties would also face consequences, as their names have been identified.

"We do not know what happened in the KMC. Once Kali (Kalicharan Banerjee, OSD to former mayor Hakim) is arrested everything will become clear," Adhikari said, suggesting deeper issues within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Adhikari also noted that the KMC was ill-equipped to handle such a severe tragedy, necessitating assistance from 215 army personnel, particularly the Bihar Regiment, who deployed modern equipment. Army, NDRF, and civil defence teams worked overnight on rescue operations.

What to Watch Next

The outcomes of the mandated audit and investigation will be crucial, potentially leading to long-term changes in construction regulations and accountability. Further arrests, especially involving KMC officials like Kali, are anticipated to uncover more details about the incident's origins.