New Delhi: In a strong rebuke to the state government, the Gujarat high court on Thursday (June 13) criticised the handling of the Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire incident that claimed 27 lives on May 25. This is the second time within a month that the court has taken the government to task over the issue.
A two-judge bench, presided over by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, expressed dismay over the government’s apparent protection of contractors and the negligence of municipal commissioners, the New Indian Express reported.
“Why does the government shield the contractor in these cases? Municipal commissioners are neglecting their duties, which lead to these accidents,” the bench remarked. “From now onwards, no municipal commissioner will be given another chance. The incident may seem minor to you, but now you will not be able to protect the officers.”
The court called the incident “exceptionally catastrophic” and said that such negligence would no longer be tolerated and officers would be held accountable.
The court highlighted a pattern of similar tragedies, referring to incidents in Morbi and Harni, and condemned the consistent protection afforded to contractors by the government.
The high court has demanded a final fact-finding report by June 16. It has also instructed the government to disclose the fire safety measures implemented statewide in the educational sector, including a comprehensive fire safety assessment in district and urban divisions.
In a previous hearing, the court had come down heavily on the civic body after it was revealed that TRP Game Zone was not the only arcade operating without a fire license. Investigations had revealed that two other gaming zones in Rajkot were operating for over two years without permits, including fire safety certificates, the New Indian Express reported.
The petition being heard in the court claimed that the fire safety Act, as directed by the Supreme Court, was not being followed in the state and that there was laxity in the investigation. In response to the Rajkot incident, the state has drafted new rules to ensure safety at recreation facilities.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel, addressing the incident at a public event, emphasised on the need for accountability. “We have to think about where we made a mistake. When it comes to human life, there should be no compromise,” Patel stated. He also announced a cheque for Rs 2,111 crore for the development of various civic bodies and questioned why some corporations had failed to utilise allocated funds.
