The Kamala Mills Compound fire tragedy incident which claimed lives of 14 people, raises question about the violation of fire safety norms by 1 Above Pub. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) too had failed to halt the illegal construction activities happening at Kamala Mills premises, thereby resulting in to occurrence of the mishap. There is a possibility that victims were unable to escape after fire erupted at the building. Manager and other staff of the pub escaped from the spot without helping victims injured in the blaze. Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam asked how the civic body granted permission to 96 restaurants in the small area. He alleged that several lives were lost due to the lackadaisical attitude of the restaurant owner.
Few days back, 12 labourers were charred to death after fire had erupted at snack shop in Saki Naka but BMC has failed to learn any lesson from the incident. Massive corruption is prevailing in the civic body as officials failed to check whether restaurants are following fire safety guidelines. Five BMC officials have been suspended and an assistant commissioner has been transferred. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe into this incident. On the other hand, Shiv Sena and BJP blamed each other for the fire tragedy incident.
Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP said, “The pub owner had flouted fire safety norms and had not installed adequate fire extinguishers. A probe must be ordered into this incident. Action must be taken against the official who had granted licence to the restaurant without inspecting whether they are adhering to fire safety norms. If BJP is blaming Sena then they should also be held accountable for rising farmer suicides and Elphinstone foot overbridge collapse incident.”
Bhai Jagtap, Congress MLA said, “Several restaurants and hookah parlours are operating in Kamala Mills Compound. The BMC Commissioner and Shiv Sena should be made accountable for this incident. A judicial probe must be ordered against the commissioner. The civic body must conduct fire audit of establishments. Sena is having an alliance with BJP but makes allegations against it which is unjustified. Victims must be offered compensation.”
Kiran Pawaskar, NCP MLA said, “I had raised the Saki Naka fire incident in the Nagpur Assembly. After seven students had lost their lives in the Sagar restaurant fire mishap, the BMC only carried out fire audit of hotels. When a person applies for licence for opening restaurant, he has to seek various types of permission from the BMC. When the civic body collects taxes from citizens, why they have failed to provide amenities to them? Often restaurant owners bribe police officials for running their business.”
Manisha Choudhari, BJP MLA said, “Hookah parlours should be banned. The area where the mishap occurred, even hookah parlours were functioning.”
