Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 1 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday alleged negligence by the West Bengal Government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation over the fire in the Mechua area of the State capital in which 14 people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries.
Adhikari visited the site of the fire at Rituraj Hotel earlier today following which he took to his social media platform X to post that he had assessed the situation on the ground and expressed grief over the loss of lives. The BJP leader claimed that the action in the fire incident was “delayed and chaotic” and demanded a “high-lever, transparent probe.”
“Today, I visited the heartbreaking site of the tragic fire at Rituraj Hotel in Mechua, Kolkata, where 14 innocent lives were lost, and countless others were injured. The pain of witnessing the aftermath is indescribable. As the Leader of Opposition, I took stock of the situation on the ground. This tragedy exposes the gross negligence and incompetence of the West Bengal Government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The lack of enforced fire safety measures, unchecked violations, and inadequate infrastructure turned a preventable incident into a catastrophe,” Adhikari posted on X.
He further wrote, “The Fire & Emergency Services Department under Sujit Bose and the KMC under Firhad Hakim have failed miserably to ensure regular fire safety audits and equip commercial establishments like Rituraj Hotel with basic safety standards. Where were the mandatory fire exits, sprinklers, or smoke alarms? Why were safety norms blatantly ignored in the heart of Kolkata? Even more shameful is the abysmal response. A fire of this magnitude in central Kolkata demanded swift, coordinated action, yet the response was delayed and chaotic. Was the administration paralysed because the Chief Minister and her coterie were enjoying a 3-day vacation in Digha? The absence and lack of leadership during this crisis is a betrayal of public trust. The WB Government’s apathy and the KMC’s complicity in allowing unsafe structures to operate unchecked are nothing short of criminal.”
He demanded a “high-level, transparent probe” into the case and said those responsible should be held accountable, including officials and hotel management. He insisted that the government’s failure cannot be ignored.
“I demand a high-level, transparent probe to uncover the lapses that led to this tragedy and to hold all responsible accountable, be it negligent officials, complicit inspectors, or the hotel management. The State’s failure to prioritise public safety cannot be swept under the rug by putting the entire blame on the Hotel Management, by treating them as scapegoats,” he added in his post.
At the time of the incident, the hotel had 88 boarders accommodated in 42 rooms and was staffed by 60 employees.
According to Kolkata police, the deceased include 11 men, one woman, one boy, and one girl. Of the 14 bodies recovered from the site, eight have been identified so far. Thirteen people sustained injuries, of whom 12 have been treated and discharged, while one person remains hospitalised.
Meanwhile, in response to the tragedy, the Kolkata Police has formed a special investigation team to determine the cause of the fire and probe possible lapses in safety norms.
Further talking to reporters the BJP leader has welcomed the Centre’s announcement of the decision to conduct a caste census in the forthcoming population census. “I welcome it. After getting details on this, we will say more on it,” Adhikari said. (ANI)
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