Mumbai building collapse: Devendra Fadnavis announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to kin of deceased

Mumbai: The kin of those killed in Tuesday’s Ghatkopar building collapse will be given an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. The residential building collapsed on Tuesday morning, killing 17 people. [caption id=“attachment_3658677” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Devendra Fadnavis. PTI[/caption] Earlier in the day, the chief minister told the Assembly the kin of the deceased would be given an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each and those with permanent injuries Rs one lakh. He also said the medical expenses of the injured will be borne by the government. He hiked the compensation amount in the Upper House. Leader of Opposition in the council Dhananjay Munde has sought a raise in the compensation amount. “We will see how we can provide an ex-gratia relief of Rs five lakh without making any changes in the standing order,” Fadnavis said. Replying to other suggestions made by the MLCs, Fadnavis said the government would consider constituting a special police force for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). “There are technical problems in setting up the special police force because even if it is meant for the BMC, the management, the appointments etc have to be done by the state. However, we will consider setting up a special police for the BMC if the technical issues can be resolved,” he said. Munde alleged Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap, arrested in connection with the building collapse, was trying to convert his nursing home on the ground floor of the ill-fated building into a bar as he wanted to “recover an expenditure of Rs four crore incurred during the BMC polls”. Shitap’s wife had unsuccessfully contested the elections, held earlier this year. “They wanted to build a bar and a restaurant in place of the nursing home to recover Rs four crore. Only to recover their BMC expenditure, they killed 17 people. Section 302 (punishment for murder) of IPC should be slapped on Shitap. All the BMC officers who are responsible for negligence should be immediately suspended,” the NCP leader said. Munde further demanded that the government come up with a white paper on dilapidated buildings in the city and the action taken so far.