Submit Action Taken Report in aftermath of Morbi bridge collapse: HC to Gujarat govt
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to submit a report on the action taken against the office-bearers of Morbi municipality as the SIT highlighted lapses in the aftermath of the collapse of a bridge in October 2022 which killed 135 people.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi noted the government has not yet submitted an Action Taken Report (ATR) after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) highlighted lapses by office-bearers of Morbi Nagarpalika including its then-chief officer.
Meanwhile, a man who lost two relatives in the bridge collapse has moved the HC, seeking its direction for repairing and restoring the heritage British-era structure, and directives for individualised compensation.
While hearing a suo motu PIL, Chief Justice Agarwal noted that the state government has yet to submit an ATR following the SIT findings on lapses by Morbi Nagarpalika office-bearers, including its then chief officer. The SIT's final report was submitted on October 9, 2023.
Chief Justice Agarwal said the government should file an ATR against erring persons as the SIT highlighted inaction on their part.
When questioned about the actions taken based on the SIT report, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi assured the court that the ATR would be presented soon. The court had previously directed the government to submit this report, especially highlighting the lapses identified by the SIT.
The court also addressed the Oreva Group's compensation and rehabilitation proposal, which includes a monthly payment of Rs 12,000 to every surviving victim and the kin of deceased victims. Additionally, the group agreed to cover educational expenses for orphaned children or those who lost a parent. The court instructed the Oreva Group’s trust to establish a mechanism to implement these payments.
Chief Justice Agarwal said that the government should file a report on the action taken against erring persons especially as the SIT cited inaction on their part.
"What method have you worked out to make this payment?" the court asked, before directing the trust to work out a mechanism.
The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi town collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing 135 persons, including several women and children, and injuring 56 others.
Dilip Chavda, in an affidavit submitted to Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, urged that the repair and restoration of the bridge be undertaken by a technical team from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The affidavit was part of a suo motu PIL concerning the Morbi bridge collapse.
Chavda demanded that the cost of repairs be borne by the Oreva Group, responsible for the bridge’s operation and maintenance, as well as state authorities, including the district administration and Morbi municipality. He argued that the bridge, a public asset, should not have been managed as private property.
"The Morbi bridge was a property of the public at large and was not a private property of either of the concerned respondents that they could deal with it in a manner of their choice ...The concerned respondents are absolutely liable for the operation and maintenance of the bridge," the plea stated.
Furthermore, Chavda sought court directives for individualised compensation, suggesting Rs 2 crore for each deceased’s kin, Rs 50 lakh for victims with permanent disabilities, and Rs 20 lakh for those injured. He criticised the current uniform compensation approach.
Ten individuals, including Oreva Group CMD Jaysukh Patel, two managers, sub-contractors, security guards, and ticket booking clerks, have been arrested and charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
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Muslim organisations seek restoration of 2B reservation, place 10 demands before govt
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota has placed 10 major demands before the state government at the ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’, including the restoration of reservation for Muslims under Category 2B of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the repeal or amendment of the anti-cow slaughter law and the withdrawal of the anti-conversion law.
Presenting the demands in his keynote address at the convention organised by the federation at Town Hall in Bengaluru on Saturday, social activist Muhammad Yaseen Malpe said the Congress government had promised to withdraw the order issued by the previous BJP government banning hijab for Muslim girl students. He said the restriction remained in force until the date of the convention was announced and thanked the government for withdrawing it.
On reservation, Yaseen Malpe said the Congress government has not restored the reservation for Muslims under Category 2B, which was abolished by the previous BJP government in 2023, despite being in power for three years. He said that although the Supreme Court of India had stayed the order abolishing the reservation, no legislative steps have been taken to restore it, and urged the government to do so at the earliest.
Referring to the anti-conversion law, he said the state cabinet had decided on June 15, 2023 to repeal the legislation introduced by the BJP government. However, he noted that no Bill to withdraw the law has yet been introduced in the Legislative Assembly. He said the law, which he described as intended to harass minorities and curtail religious freedom, continues to remain in force and demanded that it be withdrawn immediately.
On the anti-cow slaughter law, he said the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 had become a “death warrant” for farmers, labourers, meat traders and cattle transporters and alleged that it was enacted with the sole intention of targeting Muslims. He demanded that the law be repealed or amended without delay.
Yaseen Malpe said the Congress had promised in its election manifesto to allocate Rs 10,000 crore annually for minority welfare. However, he pointed out that only around Rs 4,762 crore has been earmarked in the 2026-27 Budget, which he said was less than half of the promised amount. He urged the government to fully implement the commitment in the coming years.
On waqf properties, he alleged that large-scale encroachment, illegal transfers, undervalued leases and weak administration continue to affect waqf assets. He said the government had not done satisfactory work in recovering, developing and ensuring accountability in respect of waqf properties. He also expressed dissatisfaction that the state government had not clearly opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and called for a concrete plan to protect waqf properties.
Regarding the caste survey, he said neither the caste census report of the Kantharaj Commission nor the report of the survey conducted under the leadership of Madhusudhan R. Naik has been tabled in the legislature. He said this had stalled important reforms relating to reservation and welfare and alleged that the government had caused great injustice and disappointment to backward classes, Dalits, minorities and other weaker sections.
On hate speech, hate crimes and hate campaigns, he said incidents targeting Muslims, including mob violence, moral policing and economic boycotts, continue to occur. He said repeated offenders were not facing effective legal action and urged the government to take necessary steps.
On political representation, Yaseen Malpe said Muslims remain underrepresented in the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, corporations and boards, universities, commissions and local bodies. He noted that Muslims constitute around 13 per cent of Karnataka’s population, but only 19 of the Congress party’s 136 MLAs are Muslims. He also said that since this government came to power, only one Muslim had been given an opportunity in the selection to 15 seats in the Legislative Council.
He further stated that not a single Muslim heads any of the state’s major government medical institutions and demanded representation for Muslims in legislative bodies and key government institutions in proportion to their population.
On education, he said the government had undertaken some positive measures for Muslim students and expressed gratitude for them. However, he said substantial work remains to be done in staff recruitment, staff deployment, curriculum coverage, proper disbursal of scholarships and hostel capacity. He also pointed out that the condition of Maulana Azad Schools is highly concerning in several places.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he demanded that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly pass a resolution opposing the exercise, which he said had adversely affected minorities in Bihar and West Bengal. He urged the government to ensure that SIR is not implemented in Karnataka and that no voter is deprived of the right to vote.
