Hyderabad: Civic officers’ and private contractors’ negligence has frequently led to deaths but they have always gone scot-free. After the building collapse at Nanakramguda that killed 11 persons, minister K.T. Rama Rao demanded an investigation against GHMC officers who ignored illegal constructions and asked for their suspension.
A committee headed by municipal administration and urban development secretary Navin Mittal was constituted to examine construction activity in the city and identify violations.
But a reply to an RTI query indicated that the investigation was incomplete even three months after the incident though the time limit was 15 days. In June last, when a man fell into an open trench at Madhapur and died, the contractors got away with it by paying a fine and were put on a blacklist. No official or contractor faced punishment.
Contractors who bagged multi-crore civic projects like Indian Hume Pipe Co miserably failed to meet deadlines left the works incomplete at Malkajgiri and got away with it by paying a fine.
Last week’s incident of incomplete work by Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited which claimed a life is under investigation. The maximum punishment again-st civic officers for negligence is suspension.
Mr Marri Aditya Reddy, president of MCR Foun-dation, which is associated with employment of civic workers, said, “Bot-h the Water Board and GHMC are failing in de-manding accountability, imposing liability and involving warranty. Contractors should be made to submit guarantees and safety measures.”
He said digging takes place every night and trenches are left open, endangering citizens’ safety. He wanted a new municipal negligence Act prescribing punishmen-ts and penalties.
The municipal minister and higher officials should be made party along with CEOs and contractors. “Unless fear is generated, citizens will continue to suffer,” he said.
