TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Opposition parties on Monday demanded a judicial probe into the Canacona building collapse tragedy to unravel the ‘massive scam’ involved in it. At two separate press conferences, the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party slammed the BJP government for appointing an inquiry panel of former government bureaucrats to investigate the collapse.
The Congress further alleged that a local MLA (Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar) owns apartments in Ruby Residency, which is why government was reluctant to take action against the culprits.
“We demand a judicial inquiry and all those involved in the illegalities and irregularities be booked for culpable homicide. The party has been told by the locals that since a local MLA owns apartments there, government is reluctant to crackdown on the guilty contractor and builder,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President John Fernandes told a press conference.
The party has also alleged that Bharat Developers used sub-standard concrete for construction of the high-rise buildings and these were built on water bodies resulting in the fatal tragedy. He also alleged that the construction company violated several conditions while constructing the buildings, two of which are adjacent to the already collapsed building.
Fernandes also said that he has requested MP Francisco Sardinha to divert funds from the MPLAD scheme to help the victims.
NCP’s chief spokesperson Trajano D’Mello has also echoed similar opinion. “A judicial inquiry should be ordered into the mishap…” he said doubting the credibility of retired IAS officer V K Jha who will head the three-member probe committee.
Builder Vishwas Desai, contractor Jaideep Saigal and another Pradeep Singh Birring are on the run with police still unable to trace their whereabouts even more than 48 hours after the registration of the crime.
