Building collapse: DMK meets governor, presses demand for CBI probe

Chennai: DMK leaders on Saturday met Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah to press the party's demand for a CBI probe into the June 28 building collapse near Porur, which left 61 people dead.

Party leader MK Stalin led a well-attended rally of DMK workers here and followed that up with a meeting with the governor at Raj Bhavan, during which he submitted a petition demanding a CBI inquiry.

Stalin told reporters that the party would continue with the protests till its demand for a CBI probe was accepted. He added that DMK wanted to ascertain whether there were any irregularities on part of government officials.

Tamil Nadu government has, however, ruled out any violations or irregularities on its part. Housing and Urban Development Minister R Vaithilingam has said that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority had approved the plan of the building only after it met all guidelines and specifications. But he had added that soil testing and building stability were out of its purview.

Earlier, DMK president M Karunanidhi had demanded a CBI probe into the matter, saying, "It would be appropriate if information about what irregularities had taken place and who were the beneficiaries was to come out."

In the petition, signed by Stalin and others, DMK said "generally it is felt that a probe should be conducted into the approvals issued by the Housing and Urban Development department as many such buildings were given approvals and the collapse of one building leads to apprehension in the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu, and it is the duty of the regime to clear these apprehensions."

It said rules were reportedly flouted "right from the grant of approval for that building."

"If the building was completed and allotted to the families and subsequently collapsed, the death toll would be much higher," the petition added.