The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday suspended five officials from its South Zone with immediate effect, almost a day after a building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area that has claimed seven lives so far.
The officials have been suspended pending disciplinary proceedings, as per orders issued by the civic body on Monday. The action follows growing scrutiny over alleged unauthorised construction and structural violation linked to the collapsed structure.
A still from the scene after the collapse
Names of the officials suspended
The suspended officials are named Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (South Zone), Ranvir Singh, Superintending Engineer (South Zone), Lalit Kumar Goel, Executive Engineer (Building), Sunil Chauhan, Assistant Engineer (Building) and Ashish Kumar, Junior Engineer (Building).
According to the order, the officials would remain suspended pending disciplinary proceedings. However, they will be entitled to a subsistence allowance in accordance with applicable rules.
MCD Commissioner Sanjiv Khirwar said the civic body would adopt a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach towards unauthorised construction in the national capital and hold the building department accountable.
As per statistics, between June 1 and September 3 this year, the MCD demolished 983 properties, sealed 464 properties and issued 1,516 show-cause notices over unauthorised construction. It also issued 708 sealing show-cause notices and passed 726 demolition orders during this period.
Additionally, it conducted a 3-month-long survey of the residential areas to identify properties being used for commercial purposes.
Details of the building collapse
The building situated in the congested Satya Niketan colony collapsed on Sunday noon. As per officials, construction work was underway in the basement of a boys’ paying guest accommodation, which led to the structural damage, eventually resulting in the building giving way.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation for the ones unaccounted for has entered into its second day as emergency teams continue to sift through the debris. Amid the rescue operation, the Delhi government has issued orders to immediately seal the illegal structures with four or more floors.
An MCD notice issued on Monday said, “All illegal constructions with more than four floors will be immediately sealed, and strict action will be taken against the guilty officials, leading to their immediate dismissal.”
Another visual post-collapse
No sanctioned building plan found
If the MCD is to be believed, the collapsed property, named P-14 Satya Niketan, stood on a plot measuring approx 55 square yards. The structure comprised a basement and floors from the ground level up to the fourth floor.
The building, as per reports, was constructed in the 1990s. The civic body said no records of any booking, sealing order or complaint concerning the property were found. A senior official said no sanctioned building plan existed for the structure. He also called the basement construction ‘unauthorised.’