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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Kolkata flyover collapse triggers political blame game
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Kolkata flyover collapse triggers political blame game

At least 18 killed, dozens trapped after under-construction flyover collapses in north Kolkata

Army personnel with others at the spot where an under-construction flyover collapsed in Vivekananda Road, Kolkata, on Thursday. Photo: PTIPremium
Army personnel with others at the spot where an under-construction flyover collapsed in Vivekananda Road, Kolkata, on Thursday. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: At least 18 people were killed and dozens more were trapped after a flyover under construction collapsed in a busy north Kolkata neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon, triggering a political blame game.

Even as the tragedy unfolded, amid desperate attempts by bystanders to pull out survivors from under the debris, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and opposition Left parties began trading charges, raising political temperatures in a state heading to assembly elections.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is looking to make inroads in West Bengal in the 2 April to 5 May election, alleged corruption in the construction of the flyover, while its Hyderabad-based builder described the incident as an “act of god".

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee cut short her poll campaign, rushed to the accident site and, in a bid to shift the criticism away from her government, said that the project had been initiated during the previous Left Front regime.

“This is an unfortunate incident... in 2009 the tender for the bridge was given by the Left Front government to a Hyderabad-based company called IVRCL for 164 (crore)... After receiving several complaints we asked them (IVRCL) for the plan... They never gave it to us and the project could not be completed. We will take stringent action against those found guilty," she said.

IVRCL Ltd said it is not responsible for the collapse, and that the situation was “an act of god". “The work for 59 slabs was over and this was the 60th slab. The work was on in the pouring stage and concrete was not hard enough. It is difficult to understand. Never in our history has such incident occurred. Around 40% of the approvals were awaited for the project and (we) were working only in those aspects where approvals were in place," said K. Panduranga Rao, group head, human resources. Three of the firm’s engineers at the site are missing, he said.

“It was a 166 crore project awarded by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority in 2009. Work was going on at a slow pace and our workers had to work in inhibition because of a lag in approvals. Nevertheless, we had completed 70% of the project. We will now wait to hear from the government," said A.G.K. Murthy, director, operations.

Opposition parties rounded on the TMC, levelling charges of corruption and negligence. “There is a major role of corruption in this incident. Protocol of construction was not observed. She (Mamata Banerjee) cannot hide her face and cover up the incident by bringing up 2009," said Mohammed Salim, a Lok Sabha member from West Bengal and politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM. “When the project was suggested, TMC used to object against it. Now that elections are approaching, Mamata in November announced the project as a gift to the people of Kolkata by February. There has been a mad rush to finish the bridge, which has led to a compromise (in) work and material," he said.

The Banerjee-led government assumed power in 2011 after defeating the Left Front, the TMC’s arch rivals, which had ruled the state for over 30 years.

The major opposition parties—the CPM, the BJP and the Congress—have sought a probe into the incident. “This is a living example of corruption. The central government is working for development and this is an example of how it is being exploited. For this the Mamata government is responsible along with the ministers. We demand that this be looked into," West Bengal BJP in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters.

The Congress, too, attacked the TMC and sought to link the flyover collapse with poor governance. “We demand a probe into the entire construction process. Immediate probe should be ordered. This is a clear case of corruption. The collapse proves the poor state of governance in the state," said Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

“As soon as the flyover incident happened, all the opposition parties including the Congress, CPM and the BJP came together to attack the TMC. The opposition parties will try to evolve an opinion against Mamata Banerjee on the issue of corruption but they will not succeed in it because voters do not get swayed like this," said Amiya K. Chaudhuri, a West Bengal-based political analyst and member of the Lokniti Network of think tank Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.

PTI contributed to this story.

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Published: 31 Mar 2016, 09:57 PM IST
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