Chandrapur: Two mega buildings of world’s largest bamboo-made campus of Bamboo Research and Training Center (BRTC) at Chichpalli, 20km from here, were gutted in a massive fire on Thursday afternoon. Two-storey sprawling structures of administrative building and workshop disappeared in the inferno leaving just ashes.
In a letter sent to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday, former forest state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has demanded CID probe to know whether the BRTC fire was result of sabotage. “The grand project was going to generate massive employment and self-employment opportunities for local people,” he said, claiming that fair inquiry into the matter is only solution to clear the mystery of suspicious fire incident.
Four fire tenders from Chandrapur Municipal Corporation and Mul Municipal Council were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. However, by the time fire was brought under control, entire bamboo structure of the two buildings was gutted, leaving just remnant rammed-soil wall constructed at the base of the destroyed buildings.
The BRTC campus, a dream project of Mungantiwar, is a grand architecture marvel made of bamboo constructed at a cost of Rs88.8 crore. It was in the final stages of completion.
The main buildings of administrative complex and workshop building were completely gutted, when the public works department ( PWD), which was constructing the campus, was about to hand it over to the BRTC in a few days. The fire reduced the two buildings to ashes even as every bamboo used had undergone fire test and entire bamboo structure was coated with fire retardant polish for safety.
Executive engineer, PWD-II, Anant Bhaskarwar, maintained that there was no electricity supply into the building that could cause short circuit. He said BRTC building is first of its kind designed at such a large scale by consultant firm SHIFT, appointed by Tata Trusts.
He said the fire broke out at the roof of the administrative building, but cause of the fire is still shrouded in mystery. The sparks then spread to adjacent workshop building and bamboo-made toilet complex, gutting them completely.
Zilla Parishad president, Sandhya Gurnule, collector Ajay Gulhane, CCF, Chandrapur, NR Pravin, and other senior officers visited the spot to inspect the scene.
Founder president of Sanjivani Prayawaran Samajik Sanstha, Rajesh Bele, had filed a complaint with superintending engineer of PWD here alleging massive corruption in the construction work. He had objected to the quality of work and pointed out several lacunae, forcing the superintending engineer to order inquiry into the matter in January this year.
“PWD officials have yet not submitted the report. Possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out to hide the corruption done by the contractors in connivance with PWD officials,” Bele alleged, demanding inquiry.
Gulhane refused to comment.
Bamboo technologist and organizing secretary of Aam Aadmi Party in Nagpur, Pratap Goswami, also raised suspicion over BRTC fire. “Extraordinary delay in completion of the BRTC complex raises suspicion. If the officials involved in construction were clean, why was the inquiry report on the complaint made by local NGO on poor quality of construction not submitted,” he asked.
Goswami claimed that entire complex was being constructed at exorbitant price, nearly thrice the cost of normal building.