Register an FIR against local ward officer and fire compliance officer for negligence, demanded the leader of the opposition (LoP) in BMC on Friday during the standing committee meeting. Following the fire in City Centre mall, Nagpada last month, that took the Mumbai Fire Brigade 56 hours to douse, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) standing committee has demanded a detailed report about the fire incident and about why it took so long to douse the fire.
The leader of the Opposition and Congress corporator Ravi Raja also demanded that the recently appointed chief of Mumbai Fire Brigade should remain present in the standing committee to reply to the questions raised regarding the massive blaze. He said, "MLA of Bhiwandi and Samajwadi party corporator Rais Shaikh who lives in a highrise behind the mall and 3000 others could go back to their homes after four days. Why it took so long to cover the fire? Also, was there no inspection carried out of the mall? After the Kamala Mill fire incident, action was taken on the ward officials and fire compliance officers were appointed in each ward. These people have not done their jobs hence such a massive fire incident occurred. It risked the lives of residents and even firefighters. FIR should be lodged against local ward officers and fire compliance officer."
Raja has alleged that illegal/unauthorised alterations were done inside the mall, which needs to be investigated and if found stringent action should be taken against officials who failed to inspect it and take action.
In another major development on Friday, the civic standing committee approved the redevelopment of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital popularly known as Sion Hospital. After being rejected by the committee last year, the proposal has been approved on Friday.
The redevelopment will come at an estimated cost of Rs. 513 crore which will ensure that the hospital is turned in a three-storey building. The proposal for phase 1 includes development of a nursing college and residential quarters for doctors, nurses, other staff and hostel for undergraduate students. It involves the construction of 14 lakh sq feet (approximately 32 acres).
The BMC administration faced array of questions by the opposition on the proposal that has been delayed by 18 months as the administration sought to reduce the bid cost.
According to a civic official, the first phase will be completed in three years. Thereafter, quarters that form part of the main complex will be razed and a new 1,900-bed single-wing hospital will be built. Construction of the hospital building will be taken up in three phases so as not to disturb the running of the hospital that will continue operations all through.
Meanwhile, the proposal of the redevelopment of Shatabdi hospital in Govandi was rejected by the committee after cost escalation at an early stage of the project was pointed out by a few members.
