Standing committee members demand fire report of Dream Mall

Mumbai: May 5: BMC corporator members have lashed out at the city government for failing to file a report on the Dream Mall fire. A massive fire broke out on March 26 at the Dreams Mall in Bhandap, killing nine patients who were admitted to Sunrise Hospital on the third floor of March for treatment.  On March 27, the BMC administration ordered an investigation into the incident. 

Deputy Municipal Commissioner and former Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Prabhat Rahangdale was appointed to lead the investigation.  The panel was given 15 days to submit the report.  On April 27, the FPJ reported that it had been more than a month now and that the inquiry panel had not yet submitted its report. Each month the committee presents records of fires during the past month.  It was also unveiled on Wednesday. 

But the investigation report does not exist.  Pointing to the issue, Ravi Raja, a senior Congress corporator and Leader of the Opposition in the House, asked the government why such a delay was taking place. “There have been fire incidents in Vasai-Virar.  Police have already made arrests.  We do not know how far the investigation has progressed, “Raja told the national newspaper. Several people were killed in the incident. 

In that case, the government must act immediately, "he said." It's been more than a month and we have not received the first report yet. Rakhi Jadhav, senior corporator of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and party leader of the BMC, questioned the authenticity of the probe. The investigation is being led by the same officer who was responsible for issuing the Fire NOC to the hospital administration last year.  

The body must have been assigned by someone else to investigate,”Jadhav said. Along with this, senior BJP corporator and party group leader Prabhakar Shinde raised the issue at the meeting seeking details of 227 vaccination centers.  Each corporator has suggested a possible location for setting up a vaccination booth, but we are not clear on when the booths will start operating.  Many people stay outside the booths every day and many of the active booths are not closed due to lack of vaccines, Shinde said.