Delhi fires: Pull up negligent officials

Each time a building goes up in flames in Delhi, investigators find that the owner of the building had flouted fire-safety norms. There is a hue and cry and a clamour for spot checks for a few days, but then all is forgotten until the next fire tragedy. The officers concerned are never pulled up or punished for negligence. Similarly, people are allowed to encroach on public land for years with the connivance of local officials. Illegal occupants enjoy all facilities such as electricity connections, ration cards and voter cards until the government suddenly wakes up from its stupor and bulldozes these settlements, causing law and order problems in the area. Bhupinder Kochhar

Panchkula