JALLANDHAR, April 18: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today expressed satisfaction over the rescue operations being carried out in Jallandhar where an industrial building collapsed on Sunday night. He hoped that all those still trapped under the debris come out safe.
The PCC President also demanded a high level judicial probe which besides being headed by a sitting or a retired judge should have as its members an engineering expert and an industrial representative to look into all aspects of the tragedy. He said, multiple probe committees as set up by the government, will not serve any purpose and it should be a unified probe headed by a judge which, can further appoint sub-committees to examine various aspects of the tragedy.
Accompanied by senior party leaders including the party in-charge for Punjab Thakur Gulchain Singh Charak, Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar, Arvind Khanna, Rana Gurjeet, Amarjit Singh Samra, Avtar Henry, Chaudhary Santokh, Sunder Sham Arora and others, Capt Amarinder visited the site of the accident and the two hospitals where the injured are undergoing treatment.
The former Chief Minister said, this was a grave tragedy and expressed heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families. He pointed out, all those who lost their lives were here to earn their livelihood. “Not only have the families lost their near and dear ones, but also their bread earners”, he said, while hoping that the government will be providing appropriate relief once the inquiry is complete.
The PCC President did not agree that the owner of the building should not be booked in the case. HE said, the safety of the building is the responsibility of the owner. “If the government has registered a case against the owner there is nothing wrong or unusual about it”, he remarked.
However, replying to another question, he said there was no need for the Industries Minister to resign because of the tragedy. “The minister has no role in it, but the role of the local officials needs to be probed”, he said, while adding that all the precautions must be taken to ensure that such tragedies do not recur again.
In the Dev Talab Charitable Hospital and the Civil Hospital, where the injured are undergoing the treatment, Capt Amarinder spoke to the victims and their family members. He said, the Congress had full sympathy with them.
Capt Amarinder also prayed for the safe and early eviction of all those trapped inside. “Every life is precious to us and we need to take all the measures to save the lives of those still trapped”, he said, while sharing the concern of their family members about their safety.
To another question about Punjab wasting the opportunity to have the National Disaster Response Force Centre which ultimately went to Himachal Pradesh, Capt Amarinder said, he did not want to make any political statement on the occasion but expressed regrets that Punjab could not cease the opportunity.