Express News Service
AHMEDABAD: Five days after the collapse of the suspension bridge at Morbi, the Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality, Sandeepsinh Zala, was suspended on Friday. Zala had admitted that the bridge was reopened without a fitness certificate. Also, according to officials, there were many allegations of mismanagement against Morbi Civil Hospital due to which hospital Superintendent Dr PK Dudhrejia was relieved from duties. Dean of the medical college Dr Niraj Bishvav was given the charge.
“The state urban development department has suspended the chief officer of Morbi Municipality, Sandipsinh Zala,” District Collector GT Pandya said. Resident Additional Collector of Morbi has been given additional charge until further orders, he said.
After the British-era suspension bridge built on the Machchhu river collapsed on Sunday, killing 135 people, a probe was launched on November 2 into the role of officials and contractors. The bridge was handed over to Oreva Group by the Morbi municipality earlier this year for maintenance and operations for a period of 15 years.
Zala was questioned by the police for several hours, and investigators said that the private contractors engaged by Oreva did not conduct any “scientific assessment of the structural stability” of the bridge during its recent repair and renovation. Zala blamed the company for reopening the bridge without notifying the municipality.
The police have also found that the contractor hired by Oreva to do the repairs was technically unqualified. Nine persons two managers of Oreva Group, two contractors hired by it, two ticket booking clerks and three security guards posted at the bridge have been arrested so far.
AHMEDABAD: Five days after the collapse of the suspension bridge at Morbi, the Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality, Sandeepsinh Zala, was suspended on Friday. Zala had admitted that the bridge was reopened without a fitness certificate. Also, according to officials, there were many allegations of mismanagement against Morbi Civil Hospital due to which hospital Superintendent Dr PK Dudhrejia was relieved from duties. Dean of the medical college Dr Niraj Bishvav was given the charge.
“The state urban development department has suspended the chief officer of Morbi Municipality, Sandipsinh Zala,” District Collector GT Pandya said. Resident Additional Collector of Morbi has been given additional charge until further orders, he said.
After the British-era suspension bridge built on the Machchhu river collapsed on Sunday, killing 135 people, a probe was launched on November 2 into the role of officials and contractors. The bridge was handed over to Oreva Group by the Morbi municipality earlier this year for maintenance and operations for a period of 15 years.
Zala was questioned by the police for several hours, and investigators said that the private contractors engaged by Oreva did not conduct any “scientific assessment of the structural stability” of the bridge during its recent repair and renovation. Zala blamed the company for reopening the bridge without notifying the municipality.
The police have also found that the contractor hired by Oreva to do the repairs was technically unqualified. Nine persons two managers of Oreva Group, two contractors hired by it, two ticket booking clerks and three security guards posted at the bridge have been arrested so far.
