K'taka CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to next of kin of deceased in Bengaluru building collapse

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of each deceased in a building collapse here, and said the government will bear the full medical expenses of those injured.

The incident, which claimed eight lives, was not due to the impact of rain, but owing to shoddy construction work, he said, adding, the building was constructed in a revenue layout unauthorisedly without taking any licence, and officials are being held responsible for it.

Siddaramaiah said eight people have been rescued. Three of the six injured are in a serious condition but all of them are out of danger.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the building collapse site at Babusapalya near Hennur, he said next of kin of those killed would be given an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each — Rs two lakh by the Labour Department and Rs three lakh by the city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The government is also thinking about giving ex-gratia to those injured, he added. The Chief Minister also visited the hospital where they are being treated.

“The money is not equivalent to the lives lost, but compensation has to be given as the deceased are labourers. All necessary arrangements will be made to send the bodies to their native places,” he said.

The Chief Minister noted that the concerned Assistant Executive Engineer of the area has been suspended after the building collapse. “I have said the notice should be given to the zonal officer — an IAS officer and also to the Executive Engineer of the area,” he said.

Siddaramaiah appealed to the citizens to construct the houses in accordance with the law and not by violating it,. Also, constructions should be stopped once notice is issued by the authorities, “In this case the work was not stopped, which has led to this unfortunate incident.” “This (building) collapse is not due to rain, but due to shoddy construction,” he said.

The Chief Minister said he has instructed the BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath that no unauthorised constructions should be allowed for any reason, and in case unauthorised constructions are undertaken the Assistant Executive Engineers, the Executive Engineers and the Zonal officers would be held responsible.

On notices served by the previous BJP government to those who undertook unauthorised construction, the Chief Minister said: “Some had gone to courts and got stay, some had gone to appellate authority. I will look into it.” Asked about allegations against his government with regard to “maintaining infrastructure” following waterlogging and pothole issues, among others, following rains, he said: “it is easy to make allegations, didn’t such incidents take place during their (opposition tenure).” This time, he said, Yelahanka area in the city received 170 mm rainfall on a single day. “This was first time such a rain had occurred in 125 years,” Siddaramaiah said.

“We are not shedding responsibility and express our inability by citing heavy rains; the governments should have the strength to manage it and ensure that no untoward incidents take place.” More than 1,000 families, who were affected by the rains this week, have been shifted; rescue works are on and they will continue, he said. “There were more rains this year, I also admit that we have not developed the necessary infrastructure to manage things when there are heavy rains during the tenure of the previous governments.” When he was Chief Minister earlier, he had ordered BBMP to clear encroachments on storm water drains, Siddaramaiah said. “Even now I have given (order). By borrowing loan, we will do the disaster management, we are taking Rs 3,000 crore loan for this…we will take all necessary measures to stop such untoward incidents.”