Kamala Mills fire: 9 guilty officials face BMC heat, may be dismissed

Officials get 15 days to reply to notices over their failure to act against illegalities

MUMBAI : Nine civic officials who were found guilty after an internal probe was conducted into the Kamala Mills fire last December that killed 14 people, face punishment by the civic body for negligence and failure to take action against illegalities in the two restaurants where the fire broke out.

The quantum of punishment, which could be from stopping of increments to dismissal from service, will be decided by municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

Over the past few days, the guilty officials have been receiving notices from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on the charges levelled against them. The officers have been given 15 days to explain why they should not be punished. Mehta said, “Based on the replies, the municipal corporation will decide the quantum of punishment. Notices were served a few days ago.”

On December 29, 2017, a fire broke out in rooftop resto-bar Mojo’s Bistro and spread to the neighbouring 1Above at Kamala Mills in Lower Parel, injuring 55 others too.

According to the fire department’s report, both the restaurants had a large stock of combustible hookah and furniture material.

Also, they had made several unauthorised changes to the structures, while firefighting systems such as sprinklers, fire alarm were not in working condition.

After the fire, a departmental inquiry investigated the roles of 12 officials. These included the five officials suspended by the municipal commissioner a day after the fire.

The probe is being conducted by additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal.

The nine officials named in the report are assistant engineer Madhukar Shelar, sub-engineer Dinesh Mahale, junior engineer Dhanraj Shinde, assistant divisional fire officer SS Shinde, deputy executive health officer Dr Rajesh Madan, fire station officer Rajendra Patil, assistant engineer Manohar Kulkarni, assistant divisional fire officer Sandeep Shinde and sanitary inspector Pradeep Shirke.

The probe report on three more officials — Prashant Sapkale, who was the assistant commissioner

of the G-south ward at the time of the fire, Bhagyashree Kapse, former assistant commissioner of G-south ward when all permissions were sought by the two restaurants and health officer Satish Badgire — is yet to be submitted.

The officials, through their replies, will be allowed to plead guilty or not guilty, and if the latter, they will have to present a defence. MUMBAI: After giving seven extensions for the Mumbai Monorail project, suffering an eightyear delay, several accidents and huge losses, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) recently served a show-cause notice to the consortium of Larsen and Toubro Limited and Scomi Engineering (LTSE). MMRDA’S notice (a copy of which is with HT) to LTSE was served under the clause of “termination by employer” for “gross negligence”, “incompetence”, “lack of interest in successfully completing the project” and “faults” in construction and operation of the Monorail.

In its notice, which was served on December 7, MMRDA stated that non-compliance to its requisitions by December 13 will result in the authority taking appropriate actions against LTSE for “breach of contract” and “non-performance”, which may also include forfeiting a security deposit of ₹200 crore. An MMRDA official, requesting anonymity, said, “We have not received a reply from LTSE as of Wednesday evening.” While L&T declined to comment, a source close to the project said, “MMRDA has failed to pay LTSE for a long time. How can the consortium function without money? The notice therefore has no locus-standi.” Despite multiple attempts, there was no reply from Scomi.

However, MMRDA has stated it paid ₹67 crore to LTSE in 2015 to overcome a “cash-crunch” and ₹16.34 crore between February and October 2017 on the consortium’s requests. However, LTSE failed to even pay the rent for a casting yard, despite several reminders, MMRDA said.

While the target for commencement of the entire corridor was May 13, 2011, it is still not ready despite seven extensions. “While you have been granted the extended date of completion and commissioning of the entire system until December 31, 2018, it is evident from the status of work, your action and attitude of your representatives (that) you will fail in complying with all of its obligations under the contract,” the notice states.

Currently, phase 1 (from Wadala to Chembur) is operational and MMRDA was planning to start operations till Jacob Circle by December. MMRDA also stated LTSE’S failure to run phase 1 in its optimal rate and inordinate delays has resulted in revenue loss for MMRDA and caused public inconvenience. “The matter of defaults and negligence by the contractor has also been taken up by the Public Accounts Committee of the state government,” the notice states.

Further, MMRDA stated that LTSE’S negligence has resulted in several accidents on the corridor, including a fire in November 2017 that charred two coaches of a rake, caused a loss of ₹33 crore and led to the corridor being shut for almost a year.