Parties busy in blame game
NEW DELHI: A day after the Bawana firethat claimed 17 lives, a blame game started between political parties on Sunday.
Delhi industries minister Satyendar Jain blamed the BJPruled municipal corporation for the deaths while absolving the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development (DSIIDC) of any lapses.
Jain said that on the basis of the preliminary inquiry report, it was learnt that DSIIDC does not have any regulatory functions nor mandate to issue any type of licence/permission for factory construction.
“DSIIDC is primarily involved in the organised and orderly development of industrial estates, including the common facilities for promotion of industries in Delhi,” the report said.
“The responsibility to issue licence and approve building plans lies with the municipal corporation and they should have taken care of it,” Jain said.
Delhi MPS Meenakshi Lekhi and Udit Raj on Sunday said that Arvind Kejriwal led-government’s negligence was primarily responsible for the deaths of the workers employed i n t he Bawana factory.
DSIIDC REPORT
According to the report, the 100 sq mt plot from where factory was run was allotted to Diamond Plastic Industries, a proprietary concern with Subhash Mittal as its proprietor for relocation from Shahdara to Bawana. The activity mentioned at the time of allotment was plastic goods.
“It was gathered from the site that the premises was being used to carry out packing/storage of firecrackers without obtaining due clearances from the authorities,” the report said.
North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Preety Aggarwal said that responsibility of monitoring and maintenance lies with DSIIDC and DPCC in industrial areas. DSIIDC should have conducted regular inspections to prevent such incidents.
“North DMC had cancelled the licence of the original licensee in early months of 2015 and had informed DSIIDC and, thereafter, the factory was being illegally run. It was DSIIDC’S responsibility to keep a check,” Aggarwal said.
MAYOR IN VIDEO ROW
Also, on Sunday Mayor Preety Aggarwal was purportedly caught on video, cautioning her aides not to speak about the building because its licence was with the civic body. The video was shared widely on internet.
Aggarwal denied the allegation and termed the video as “fake”. She denied giving such statement and demanded an apology from Kejriwal for sharing a fake video and politicising the incident.