MCD Suspends 5 Officials After Satya Niketan Collapse
Seven killed as civic body orders action against officials; building owner arrested in Rajasthan
- Five South Zone officials suspended with immediate effect
- Satya Niketan building collapse left seven dead and several injured
- Building owner Hariram Bansal arrested in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi
- MCD plans calibrated demolition of adjoining weakened building
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 7th Sept: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday suspended five officials following the collapse of a five-storey building in south-west Delhi’s Satya Niketan that left seven people dead and several injured.
The suspended officials are Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) Rakesh Kumar, Superintending Engineer Ranvir Singh, Executive Engineer (Building) Lalit Kumar Goel, Assistant Engineer (Building) Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer (Building) Ashish Kumar.
The suspension orders were issued by the MCD Vigilance Department on the directions of the civic body’s Commissioner under the DMC Services (Control and Appeal) Regulations, 1959. The officials have been placed under suspension with immediate effect under Regulation 5(2).
MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar said seven people had lost their lives in the incident and that the building adjoining the collapsed structure appeared to have weakened. He said the adjoining building was strengthened overnight and would be taken up for demolition in a calibrated manner within the next one to two days.
Khirwar said demolition orders had been issued for three to four buildings in the area in August. He added that the MCD had carried out 960 demolitions and sealed 407 buildings in the last three months, while notices had been served to around 1,500 buildings for sealing and demolition as part of action against unauthorised construction.
Rescue operations continued at the site on Monday. Delhi Police said Hariram Bansal, owner of the collapsed building, who had been absconding, was arrested from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited Satya Niketan to oversee the second day of search and rescue operations. She said the government, in coordination with the civic body, was formulating a policy for periodic structural audits and safety certifications of buildings used for public activities, including paying guest accommodations, nursing homes and schools.
