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‘For a fair probe’: Morbi municipality chief officer suspended by Gujarat govt
A Gujarat government official said Sandeepsinh Zala had signed off on the agreement with the Oreva group for 15 years without securing the concurrence of the municipality general board
The Gujarat government has suspended Morbi municipality chief officer Sandeepsinh Zala in connection with the collapse of a suspension bridge over the Machchu river plunging 135 people to their death on October 30, people familiar with the development said on Thursday.
The urban development department’s order said a special five-member committee appointed by the government was investigating the role of private company Oreva, the contractors involved in the bridge’s repair and the municipal officials for the tragedy on October 31.
Also Read: From pride to disaster, tracing Oreva’s links to ceramic town Morbi
“Sandeepsinh Zala was the chief officer when the incident took place and to ensure that the investigation is fair and proper, the official is being suspended,” the order said. HT has reviewed the suspension order. The order did not level any specific charge against the officer.
A government official said the municipality signed off on the agreement with the Oreva group for 15 years without securing the concurrence of the municipality general board. Questions have also been raised about the municipality’s hands-off approach when the private company reopened the 139-year-old bridge without its consent.
“We have no idea whether the fitness certificate was issued to the company for re-opening the bridge or not,” Zala told reporters on October 31, a day after the suspension bridge snapped on Sunday leading to the tragedy in the town that emerged as India’s ceramic hub over the last two decades. The bridge was re-opened on October 26, the Gujarati New Year by Oreva managing director Jaysukh Patel and his family members.
Also Read: Morbi bridge was proposed to reopen after temporary repairs in 2020
A 2008 agreement between Oreva managing director Jaysukh Patel’s firm and Morbi district collector gave the private firm the contract to maintain the bridge for 10 years till 2018.
On March 7 this year, Oreva was re-engaged for the maintenance, operation and security of the bridge for 15 years. The document reviewed by HT also indicated that the Oreva group will bear the expenses for the renovation and repairs and that the bridge can open in about 8-12 months.
Gujarat government lawyer HS Panchal on Wednesday told a local court that no tender was issued before giving the contract to Oreva. The prosecutor also accused the Oreva Group of changing only the platform of the bridge. Panchal alleged that the section of the cable which snapped on Sunday was found to be weak and rusted.
Oreva continued to be associated with the bridge’s maintenance after its contract ended in 2018. A government official claimed that Patel was allowed to continue operating the bridge by the Rajkot collector’s office till a new agreement was signed with the Morbi municipality.
The company’s proposal to raise the ticket fee in August 2020 was rejected by the municipal board, said an official aware of the matter. The agreement this year fixed the fee of ₹15 for adults and ₹10 for visitors below the age of 12 for the first year.
Nine people including four officials of Oreva group and two contractors Prakash Parmar and Devang Parmar assigned to repair the bridge by Oreva group have been arrested. Among those arrested are two ticket clerks
The government has constituted a five-member committee headed to probe the bridge collapse incident. “The committee is working on the investigation and is yet to complete its report and submit to the government,” said an official.
