No new engineers named in BMC’s latest probe report in Mumbai

The report, prepared by the vigilance department probing the incident, was submitted to municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi on Tuesday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) latest inquiry report into the Himalaya bridge collapse case does not name any new engineers. The move follows the recent protest by civic engineers over the arrest of former chief engineer SO Kori.

It has now been forwarded to the deputy municipal commissioner (DMC) Vishwas Shankarwar, who is conducting a full-fledged departmental enquiry (FFDE), for his reference.(HT Photo)

The report, prepared by the vigilance department probing the incident, was submitted to municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi on Tuesday.

It has now been forwarded to the deputy municipal commissioner (DMC) Vishwas Shankarwar, who is conducting a full-fledged departmental enquiry (FFDE), for his reference.

“It was expected that no new engineers would be indicted in the report because this is not the engineers’ fault. It was an accident and BMC is making engineers scapegoats,” said Sainath Rajadhyaksha, leader of the municipal engineers’ unions.

On Tuesday, engineers called back their protest and resumed duty after a meeting with Pardeshi. Engineers of the bridges department were promised, among other things, that they would be trained by the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) to inspect bridges. Similar training had been given to the roads department earlier.

After the bridge collapse on March 14, then municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had submitted a preliminary inquiry report, suspended two officers from the bridges department, and ordered an FFDE against them.

He had also ordered an FFDE against then chief engineer, deputy chief engineer, and another executive engineer.