The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has taken major action following the building collapse incident in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, suspending five officials from the South Zone.
The action was taken on the directions of MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar. The suspended officials include Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar, Superintending Engineer (SE) Ranbir Singh, Executive Engineer (EE-Building) Lalit Kumar Goyal, Assistant Engineer (AE-Building) Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer (JE) Ashish Kumar.
According to the suspension orders, the officials will remain suspended until disciplinary proceedings against them are completed. The MCD Vigilance Department has issued separate suspension orders in connection with the case.
The Building Department is responsible for monitoring construction activities and taking action against violations of building regulations. Questions could arise regarding whether proper inspections were carried out if the collapsed structure had been constructed without permission or in violation of an approved building plan.
Assistant Engineers and Junior Engineers are generally involved in initial on-site inspections, while Executive and Superintending Engineers are responsible for supervision and enforcement within their respective jurisdictions. The Deputy Commissioner is the administrative head responsible for the zone.
Earlier, MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar said that seven people had lost their lives in the incident. He also stated that the building adjacent to the collapsed structure had become structurally weak and emergency strengthening work had been carried out overnight. The authorities planned to demolish the adjoining structure in a controlled manner.
According to the commissioner, documents related to the property owner were recovered from property tax records. The owner had reportedly paid property tax last year and conversion charges in 2007. Police are attempting to trace the owner.
The collapsed building was reportedly constructed in the 1970s. Khirwar said no notice had previously been issued to the structure, nor had it ever been sealed. He also stated that the MCD had not received any complaint regarding the building before the incident.
The suspension of the five officials is expected to be followed by further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse and possible lapses in building inspection and enforcement.