BHUBANESWAR: Opposition Congress and BJP held substandard work responsible for the collapse of an under construction flyover in Bomikhal here and demanded strong punishment against the guilty even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik suspended two engineers and ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
The Chief Minister, who visited the injured in the Capital Hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), announced an ex gratia of `5 lakh for the family of the deceased. At AIIMS, Naveen met Sheetal, the girl who lost her father in the incident and inquired about her health. Expressing grief at the death of one person in the incident, the Chief Minister wished speedy recovery of the injured. He announced that the guilty persons will not be spared.
While Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan raised questions over the sub-standard construction work, Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra said, the Chief Minister should be held accountable as he holds the Works portfolio and is answerable for the mishap. Expressing grief over the death of a person in the flyover collapse, Pradhan said, “It is being discussed that sub-standard work is the reason behind the mishap.”
The Union Minister demanded strong action against the guilty and hoped that the State Government will take all necessary steps for speedy recovery of the injured. Pradhan said, his sympathies are with the family of the deceased.
Describing the collapse of the flyover as most unfortunate, Mishra, who visited the spot as well as Capital Hospital here, said this is a case of culpable omission and whoever is responsible should be booked under section 304 of the IPC. Stating that a case should be registered immediately and those responsbile should be arrested, Mishra said, “No doubt the prime accused is the contractor, for whose omission the incident took place, but the departmental officers in charge of supervision cannot escape liability.”
Mishra said, during visit to the spot local people told him that a BJD MLA and former minister is the business partner of the contractor and that is why neither the quality of work is taken care of, nor the necessity of an overbridge is probed.
BJD MP Baijayant Panda, who visited the Capital Hospital, said reason behind the collapse should be inquired and strong action taken against the guilty. BJD MLAs Bijoy Mohanty and Priyadarshi Mishra, State unit president of BJP Basant Panda and BJP leader Pruthviraj Harichandan also visited Capital Hospital and met the injured persons.