Morbi bridge collapse: Why this CFL bulbs, wall clocks maker is under scrutiny
Gujarat Cable Bridge Collapse: Founded by Odhavji Raghavji Patel nearly 50 years back, the company manufactures wall clocks under the popular Ajanta and Orpat brands.
Oreva group, a Gujarat-based electrical appliances maker known for its Ajanta clocks, had been in charge of maintaining the suspension bridge in Morbi for 15 years, Sandeepsinh Zala, the chief officer of the city municipality. The toll from the bridge collapse on Sunday evening has jumped to 134, including many children, as the state government opened a criminal investigation into one of the deadliest accidents in the country in the past 10 years.
"They did not give us any information that they were reopening the bridge," news agency Reuters quoted Zala as saying. "We have not issued any fitness certificate to them," he added.
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While Oreva is yet to issue a statement over the incident, one of its spokespersons soon after the accident had reportedly claimed that the bridge collapsed as “too many people in the mid-section of the bridge were trying to sway it from one way to the other”.
What do we know about Oreva group?
> Oreva specialises in CFL bulbs, wall clocks and e-bikes and is not known how it managed to get the contract to maintain an over 100-year-old bridge, reported news agency PTI.
> Founded by Odhavji Raghavji Patel nearly 50 years back, the company manufactures wall clocks under the popular Ajanta and Orpat brands.
> Patel, who died earlier this month at the age of 88 years, was a science teacher at school before turning an entrepreneur at the age of 45 years in 1971.
> With a turnover of nearly ₹800 crore, Ajanta Manufacturing Pvt Ltd is also present in business segments including lighting products, battery-operated bikes, home appliances, electrical accessories and electronic items such as telephones, calculators and LED TVs among others.
> It is alleged that the bridge was opened without a fitness certificate.
> In its profile on its website, the Oreva group claims that it employs over 6,000 people but has no mention of its construction business.
> Oreva group, operates one of the largest manufacturing plants in India at Samakhiyali, Kutch District, Gujarat, which is spread over 200 acres of land.
(With inputs from PTI, Reuters)
