DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Initiating action in the incidence of an under construction building collapse at imperial gardens in Peer Muchhalla of Zirakpur, the Local Government department of Punjab has suspended a Superintendent and two Junior Engineers for grave negligence in discharge of their duties, while issuing showcause notices to five other officers.

Stating this in a statement here on Tuesday, Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said that he had personally visited the site of the building collapse and constituted a committee under Local Government Department Director Karnesh Sharma, which also included the Deputy Commissioner of Mohali, Chief Engineer, Chief Vigilance Officer and a representative of Punjab Engineering College (PEC).

The committee had asked the PEC to submit its technical report on the causes of collapse as well as suggesting remedial measures.

The magisterial report and the PEC report found grave negligence in construction as the primary cause for its collapse. Apart from this, the building owners did not give any notice regarding the commencing of construction work to the MC Zirakpur.

Sidhu said the officers of Municipal Council too indulged in gross negligence of their duty and did not bother to conduct checking or supervision of the building during its construction.

For this, it has been decided to suspend Superintendent Balwinder Singh, Junior Engineers Rajiv Kumar and Anil Sharma, along with charge sheeting them. It was the responsibility of these officers to keep a check at regular intervals on the construction work and report any violation to their senior officers.

Besides these, five other supervisory officials – Assistant Municipal Engineer Sukhwinder Singh, Municipal Engineer Gurpratap Singh, Superintending Engineer Kuldeep Verma and EO S K Grewal and Manveer Singh Gill have been issued showcause notices.

The Minister said he would personally visit various places to take stock of the under construction works and warned of strict action against the owners, in case any building was constructed in contravention of the rules.

(editor@dailyworld.in)