Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday ordered probe into the Mustafabad house collapse which killed 11 people and left several injured. Law minister Kapil Mishra, who visited the site of incident, said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been directed to vacate nearby unsafe buildings to prevent future calamities.
In a post on X, Gupta said, “The heart is deeply saddened by the tragic incident of building collapse in Mustafabad. Orders have been given to investigate the incident and strict action will be ensured against the culprits. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and other agencies are continuously engaged in relief and rescue operations. Arrangements have been made for proper treatment of all the injured. My deepest condolences to those who died in this unfortunate accident. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.”
Mustafabad MLA and deputy speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, who reached the spot on Saturday morning, said he has made several complaints previously about illegal constructions in the area but MCD has not taken any action. He said the incident is a result of corruption in MCD and discoms that have allowed power connections in the area.
“I visited the area just three days after becoming the MLA and even raised the issue in the assembly. Such unauthorised construction is rampant in all of Mustafabad and MCD has been turning a blind eye towards it. No action is taken on these buildings, though I have already written to the lieutenant governor and police commissioner about it,” said Bisht.
Law minister Mishra said that Gupta was directly monitoring relief efforts. “In Delhi, areas such as Mustafabad, Seelampur, Jafrabad, Seemapuri, Jamia, Old Delhi are flooded with such illegal constructions. The MCD commissioner has been instructed to vacate the nearby unsafe buildings. No responsible officer will be spared,” said Mishra.
In a separate post on X, Mishra blamed the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for protecting illegal buildings. “The illegal building collapse in Mustafabad brings out the real truth of the Arvind Kejriwal gang’s corruption in MCD. The AAP and Kejriwal have committed the sin of building and protecting illegal buildings in areas of a particular community. Construction of such illegal buildings is in full swing in Mustafabad, Seelampur, Jafrabad, Old Delhi, Jamia and Seemapuri. Survey of all these illegal buildings is necessary, strict action is required against them. Delhi has had to pay a very heavy price for Kejriwal’s corruption and appeasement in MCD,” Mishra said.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that over the past 10 years, illegal construction of fifth and sixth floors thrived under the patronage of AAP MLAs and councillors, and demanded that MCD should order the evacuation, sealing, and demolition of such illegal constructions to prevent such incidents in the future.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal expressed condolences over the building collapse. “This incident in Mustafabad is very sad. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I appeal to all the party workers to fully cooperate with the administration in relief and rescue operations,” Kejriwal said on X.
The MCD mayor directed the municipal commissioner to conduct an investigation into the house collapse and demanded suspension of officials found guilty of negligence.
Mayor Mahesh Kumar Khichi said on X, “The building collapse in Mustafabad is extremely heartbreaking. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident. I have directed MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar to conduct an investigation into the incident and to suspend the officials found guilty of negligence. I appeal to all AAP karyakartas in Mustafabad to extend full cooperation in the relief and rescue operations and assist the administration in every possible way.”
Article source: hindustantimes.com
