Fire brought under control in Bhagirath Palace area: officials
New Delhi (PTI): A massive fire that broke out at a wholesale market in the Bhagirath Palace area of Chandni Chowk was brought under control on Tuesday even as the cooling process is underway for the sixth consecutive day, officials said.
The fire officials said that over 150 fire tenders have worked since its outbreak.
According to the officials, the fire has been brought under control but the cooling process is still underway to ensure that the fire is completely doused.
Presently, two fire tenders are at the spot which is dealing with the cooling process which is expected to continue today.
The traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has requested the Centre, Delhi government and insurance companies to help start rehabilitation work for the affected traders of Bhagirath Place market where more than 250 shops have been gutted due to the fire about five days back.
CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal and other trade leaders said that along with Delhi Electrical Traders Association (DETA), efforts will be made to speed up the processing of insurance claims of the affected traders.
"More than 250 shops have been affected and while five buildings have been completely or partially burnt, three have collapsed," a senior official said.
A case under IPC sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) has been registered against unknown people, the official said.
The fire was brought under control by Friday morning but while the cooling process was still underway, the blaze reignited again and turned massive by the evening.
On Saturday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena visited the market and said a multi-disciplinary committee had been constituted to look into ways to effectively address issues like hanging wires and overloaded circuits.
He sought the active involvement of residents and other stakeholders in areas like Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar and Paharganj, among others.
He has also sought a report within 30 days.
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Ruckus outside counting centre in Mamata's constituency, TMC claims entry of car with BJP flag
Kolkata (PTI): The counting centre at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur assembly constituency witnessed a ruckus a day ahead of the counting of votes, with TMC workers alleging two cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept.
The incident comes close on the heels of a four-hour-long sit-in by Banerjee in front of the same counting centre at the Sakhawat Memorial Girls School on Thursday night, alleging unauthorised entry of persons into the strongroom.
With the polling now over, the wrangling for power in West Bengal has turned into a battle of nerves between the incumbent TMC and the BJP. Workers and leaders of both parties have been keeping a steely gaze on the security of strongrooms across the state where the electoral fate of the candidates is sealed.
Despite expressing her confidence in a "landslide victory", Banerjee has repeatedly aired her apprehensions of "counting malpractice and EVM tampering ahead of the day of results".
On Sunday morning, TMC workers camping 100 metres from the counting centre alleged that two cars with BJP flags entered the premises and went near the strongroom.
"The CAPF personnel at the spot are not allowing any vehicle or person to enter the premises of the counting centre without valid identity proof. Then how come this car, which we have not seen in the past few days, was allowed entry? Once we protested, the central forces asked us to move 100 metres away," a TMC activist said.
The TMC claimed that while the police personnel posted there promised the vehicle would be removed from the spot, it remained there for some time.
A senior Election Commission official said the car was passing by the Harish Mukherjee Road, and after checking by security forces and police, it was allowed to leave as nothing objectionable was found in it.
On Thursday night, two counting centres, including one at Sakhawat Memorial Girls School in the city, witnessed high drama after TMC leaders alleged a lack of transparency and possible malpractice at the strongrooms housing sealed EVMs of the assembly polls, which concluded on April 29.
TMC leaders and candidates, Sashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh, held a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra counting centre on Thursday evening, alleging unauthorised activities inside the strongroom amid the absence of TMC agents
In Howrah, TMC protested renovation work by the public works department at a place adjacent to the strongroom, and the EC stopped the work temporarily.
On Saturday, the ruling party filed a complaint with the poll panel, alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers at the EVM strongroom in Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
Similar scenes were witnessed on Saturday outside the strongrooms at Asansol College in Paschim Bardhaman and the Barasat Government College in North 24 Parganas districts, where TMC workers held protests, alleging that CCTV cameras were switched off for several minutes.
The EC turned down all allegations, saying the surveillance cameras were working in an uninterrupted manner.
BJP spokesperson Sajal Ghosh told reporters that the people of Bengal were finding it "hilarious" that the TMC, "which used to win elections through unfair means and strongarm tactics" were now coming up with all sorts of "frivolous charges".
"Are they scared of losing?" he posed.
