Ayyanna promises action against builders, officials

The Minister directs Collector to initiate probe immediately. To go into the depth of it, he asked District Collector N. Yuvaraj to initiate an inquiry immediately. "The Collector will be assisted by the departments of Labour, GVMC officials and the police," he told The Hindu.

Panchayat Raj Minister Ayyanna Patrudu, who visited the construction site at VIP Road in Visakhapatnam where four migrant workers were buried alive when earth caved in on Thursday, promised to initiate action against the builders and the officials concerned in GVMC.

He noted that the accident occurred as safety norms were not adhered to. “There is callousness in the attitude of the builders as well as the officials. But the degree of it has to be ascertained and it should be known who is primarily responsible – the builders or the officials,” he said.

To go into the depth of it, he asked District Collector N. Yuvaraj to initiate an inquiry immediately. “The Collector will be assisted by the departments of Labour, GVMC officials and the police,” he told The Hindu.

Pointing out at the huge 40-feet pit that was dug by the builders and the neighbouring skyscrapers, he said, “I do not understand how such plans are approved and whether the officials have given the approval after proper testing of the soil,” said Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu. But he was fast to add that post-bifurcation of the State, Visakhapatnam has become an important city. “Such huge buildings are necessary and will come up. But at the same time the authorities concerned and the builders should give top priority to safety aspects. This incident should serve an eye-opener for all concerned and the authorities should take care that such incidents do not recur,” he said.

Referring to a question, whether there is a policy to monitor construction activity, the Minister said: “Policies are there. But who follows. When the authorities themselves deviate from the policy, how can we expect its proper implementation? But from now it will not be the same. I will await the report and then take action,” he said.

Compensation

On the compensation front, Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu said that a package would be given both by the builders and the government. “We will leave it to the Chief Minister to decide,” he said.

The workers at the site demanded a package of Rs. 10 lakh for the family members of each of the dead.