The Vivekananda flyover which has been under construction since more than 7 years collapsed killing 14 people and injuring many more seriously. As is expected blame game has begun between various political parties with Mamata Banerjee blaming the previous government an so on...However, it is always the common people who suffer the most when such tragedies occur, also could have been easily averted with some care by the authorities concerned
This has happened earlier too in a smaller scale. In 2013 a huge chunk of the Ultadanga flyover collapsed in Kolkata. The Vivekananda flyover has had a long and troubled History.Naturally Political leaders grab such an opportunity. The BJP said, Mamata Banerjee is responsible. Congress demands the resignation of Farhad Hakim. Mamata says that collapse happened during CPM time. Ultimate sufferer is the common man who unsuspectingly passes over the flyover and becomes a victim. I view this as a man made disaster. Our emergency response to a disaster can be more disastrous than the tragedy itself.
Who else is other than Mamata Banerjee responsible? The completion of thls ll-fated flyover missed 8 deadlines earlier and she rushed it with an eye on elections.If it missed as many deadlines the governments since Dr.B.C.Roy died failed 8 thousand times to give the hapless people even a semblance of a civilized government. A lot many tragedies are just waiting to happen!
@Gulshanji
The Act of God,force majeure are legal terms intended and used to limit liability in common law.Even God seems to have given up on West Bengal and its criminal leaders!!
chinmoymukherjee wrote:Who else is other than Mamata Banerjee responsible? The completion of thls ll-fated flyover missed 8 deadlines earlier and she rushed it with an eye on elections.If it missed as many deadlines the governments since Dr.B.C.Roy died failed 8 thousand times to give the hapless people even a semblance of a civilized government. A lot many tragedies are just waiting to happen!
@Gulshanji
The Act of God,force majeure are legal terms intended and used to limit liability in common law.Even God seems to have given up on West Bengal and its criminal leaders!!
It is really very sad to see such a once-prosperous state going to dogs in such a manner. I wonder when Mamata will stop beating her chest every time a disaster strikes and really get down to doing actual work, instead of yelling hoarse about how simple and honest she is every time. I am sure people don't want to see and hear her tantrums but want to see her doing actual work.
We make tall claims about becoming a superpower when we cannot even build a bridge that will last for a few years at least, most bridges falling down even before they finish construction. On the hand hand, the British who built bridges in the last century are still going strong. There is one particular bridge in Pune, which recently completed 100 years and exactly one month before that deadline, the Pune Municipal authorities received a letter from British authorities accompanied by the detailed plans of its construction. The letter, in essence, contained the original written guarantee from the engineer then stating the bridge would last for 100 years. The current British engineers suggested that since it was nearing 100 years of completion, the Pune Municipal engineers should thoroughly inspect the bridge and undertake repair and renovation works if needed. This is the level of honesty and excellent work that is missing in the Indians.
In fact the previous governments role is very little, to the extent that called the tenders and gave it to a construction company which was not very reliable one. But once Mamata took over a few of their projects came under the CBI scanner as early as 2011 when Mamata came to power. But she did nothing an now conveniently blames the previous government. No doubt their role in awarding the contract to a tainted company itself was wrong but after knowing the details to continue with them is worse, which is what Mamata Banerjee did..
During British days, Calcutta was known as the second city of the Raj after London, but after independence, first the Congress and then the Communists destroyed the city. Calcutta is now a faint ghost of what it was. The flyover taking 7 + years is nothing new. The tube took 20 years and is now in poor condition. Worse there is no expansion. My grandfather spent 40 years in Calcutta and built so many landmarks like the Lighthouse cinema. I have a house there ( inherited) at Bhowanipur. But the fact is until the people revolt against the apathy of the government nothing will happen. Mamata is no better than the left. What Calcutta needs is a spell of Martial Law.
Calcutta is still a very regal city with a glorious past ,,,it also speaks for poor leadership, as to how a great state can be reduced to what it is because of indifferent leaders.
As of now new theories are being floated by IVCRL , the construction company . Their lawyer in a news conference held in their head quarters i Hyderabad now claims that it could have been a bomb that was responsible , since glass pieces were found around the area ! I guess the truth will come out after the investigation but the IVCRL team is not sitting idle, doing their best to cover their tracks and record.
MG Singh wrote:During British days, Calcutta was known as the second city of the Raj after London, but after independence, first the Congress and then the Communists destroyed the city. Calcutta is now a faint ghost of what it was. The flyover taking 7 + years is nothing new. The tube took 20 years and is now in poor condition. Worse there is no expansion. My grandfather spent 40 years in Calcutta and built so many landmarks like the Lighthouse cinema. I have a house there ( inherited) at Bhowanipur. But the fact is until the people revolt against the apathy of the government nothing will happen. Mamata is no better than the left. What Calcutta needs is a spell of Martial Law.
Martial is not solution of any problem. Mamata may be honest politician but other members of her party is like other politicians. It is clear that in India no one join politics of service of nation and peoples. It is profession and they start investment in it from student life and when they come in power they recover it with interest.
Mamata Banerjee for some reason is able to withstand any kind of criticism and bad press even when her party has gone wrong badly on many issues and in all probability she and her party might get elected once again. She is an extremely shrewd politician ...However, through this incident one can see how callous she is as a leader going by the statements she has given, completely absolving herself of all responsibilities. Can one blame these politicians when people are ready to forgive them and put them back in power , again and again !
usha manohar wrote:Mamata Banerjee for some reason is able to withstand any kind of criticism and bad press even when her party has gone wrong badly on many issues and in all probability she and her party might get elected once again. She is an extremely shrewd politician ...However, through this incident one can see how callous she is as a leader going by the statements she has given, completely absolving herself of all responsibilities. Can one blame these politicians when people are ready to forgive them and put them back in power , again and again !
Mamta is very shrewd. She has now come out with a bizarre statement that anybody who has lived in India for 5 years should be allowed to vote. She was targeting the 27% vote bank of Muslims in Bengal and the illegal migrants from Bangladesh who are her also her vote bank.
According to latest news police opened a case of culpable homicide against the company,IVRCL that had been building flyover. CM, Mamata Banerjee, whose Centre- left party is seeking re -election soon said, those responsible would not be spared and blamed the previous government that awarded the flyover contract in 2007.
Police detained seven employees of the company, interviewed Bosses at its Headquarters in Hyderabad and sealed its offices.
I feel that we have all tolerated corruption and lack of commitment towards public property and misuse of taxpayers money for so many decades now that it has become a habit for us. That is why, no one feels outraged or upset when such construction of flyovers, bridges, dams etc. get dragged on and on for years and years, some never get finished but are left half way, some are so much substandard in quality that we see what happens. It is time to pull up our socks and make the ones responsible for this incident pay for their greed. All the officials, contractors, builders related to this bridge must be severely punished. I wonder if we can get the 'award wapasi brigade' to agitate for action these people?
Apparently Mamata Banerjee had given some contracts to the same IVCRL when she was a Railways minister in the central cabinet. Now she puts the blame on the previous government very conveniently for having given the contract to the firm.. With 26 lives lost and several mre in serious condition , politicians dont care and will go on with their politiking ..
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani wrote:Shampa Sadhya wrote:Gulshan Kumar Ajmani wrote:It makes no sense to blame God for builder's fault. A bridge must be strong enough to work for about fifty years at least. There is no doubt that either negligence or corruption or both have caused the tragedy. I agree with Mamata Banerjee that previous govt. is responsible for the mishap. The bridge would have been constructed during previous govt's tenure. It is necessary to probe and take harsh measures and ensure that such mishaps don't recur.
What is Mamata Banerjee doing for the last five years? She blames the previous government and they accuse her which is quite natural. They are all responsible.
Mamata Banerjee may be responsible or even guilty of many things but the current disaster is clearly attributable to previous govt, during whose rule the bridge was constructed.
I believe even Mamata Banerjee government is partly responsible for this man made disaster, though Mamata Banerjee cannot be held directly but the concerned department must be held as guilty and a probe should take place for sure to avoid such happenings.
It is the public also who should raise their voice, 7 years of construction and was no person aware or didn't any news channel covered this???
I guess the media comes into this picture as well and if it did cover then it is now the people who should be more aware and be more responsive for any news coverage that comes across.
Facts are surfacing one by one now. The contract for building this flyover was given to a Blacklisted company by CPM in 2009 and Congress is in alliance with CPM for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal. Five officials detained, Forensic team collects samples from the accident site. More bodies were recovered.
usha manohar wrote:Apparently Mamata Banerjee had given some contracts to the same IVCRL when she was a Railways minister in the central cabinet. Now she puts the blame on the previous government very conveniently for having given the contract to the firm.. With 26 lives lost and several mre in serious condition , politicians dont care and will go on with their politiking ..
Mamata Banerjee has truly evolved as a hard-core politician from the initial simple, down-to-earth lady who thinks of the masses. It is so shameful the way she is now trying to save her own skin that too in such an obvious manner.
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:usha manohar wrote:Apparently Mamata Banerjee had given some contracts to the same IVCRL when she was a Railways minister in the central cabinet. Now she puts the blame on the previous government very conveniently for having given the contract to the firm.. With 26 lives lost and several mre in serious condition , politicians dont care and will go on with their politiking ..
Mamata Banerjee has truly evolved as a hard-core politician from the initial simple, down-to-earth lady who thinks of the masses. It is so shameful the way she is now trying to save her own skin that too in such an obvious manner.
As expected where there is tragedy and an opportunity for a photo op there is Rahul Gandhi and sure enough he went and posed, probably delaying the rescue operations and causing inconvenience. The congress has now shifted its stand and supports CPI in Bengal in the coming election so he had his say against Mamata Banerjee...Honestly the kind of insensitivity these people have..
@kiran8