Nagpur: The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Friday announced an inquiry into the lapses that led to water logging in the Vidhan Bhavan prompting the power cut and adjournment of both House of
State Legislature on third day of commencement of Maharashtra Legislature on last Friday.
Fadnavis replying to the concerns of Opposition benches said a full-fledged inquiry will be conducted in to the serious lapses of those responsible including the PWD staff that led to chocking of gutter lines in the Bhavan.
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Fadanvis said the drainage system in the Legislature premises was quite old and has a capacity to handle 125 mm rain fall but the city received 282 MM rains in 24 hours. Moreover, Fadanvis said the rainfall between 8-30 am and 2-30 pm was 263 MM and the unprecedented rains were close to all previous records. In 1994 the rain fall was recorded at 300 mm in 24 hours.
The ruling BJP which controls the Nagpur Municipal Corporation was left embarrassed as the city was clearly unprepared to tackle the heavy rain. The Shiv Sena, its principal ally, even not spared the government for the mess.
Fadnavis said that the proposed inquiry would probe the lapses that led to water logging in the Vidhan Bhavan, prompting power cut and adjournment of both the houses of the state legislature for the day on third day of commencement of the Monsoon session. “Nobody will not be spared, responsible for the mess,” he asserted.
The Maharashtra Assembly could not function on Friday due to a power blackout caused by the rains. Both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council were adjourned for the day, shortly after convening. The power supply had been turned off after the switching centre that provides electricity to the Assembly complex was flooded, Fadnavis said.
Lashing out at the government for its “casual approach” to conduct the monsoon session in Nagpur, instead of Mumbai, the opposition leader Vikhe-Patil said that there were serious lapses of the concerned officials that led to chocking of gutter lines in Vidhan Bhavan that subsequently led to the logging of water and power failure in the campus. He sought an inquiry into the matter which was supported by other opposition leaders.
He said that the Friday incident was the most embarrassing situation for the government to snap the power
supply and close the Assembly without transacting any business.
The NCP leader Ajit Pawar joined Vikhe Patil in the concern saying a snake had come out in the official residence of Chief Minister, “Ramgiri” and had it bitten the chief minister the situation would have been different.
Pawar said crores of public money is spent on Legislature and blackout and subsequent adjournment of Legislature was a huge loss to the state exchequer. “Whoever official is responsible should be taken to task. This is a collective responsibility,” the NCP leader asserted.
A defensive chief minister Fadanvis said the drainage system in the Legislature premises was quite old and has a capacity to handle 125 mm rain fall but the city received 282 MM rains in 24 hours. Moreover, the rainfall was 263 MM in just six hours and the unprecedented rains were close to all previous records.
While announcing inquiry, the chief minister also assured financial compensation to the victims of the flood and affected persons.
