Janakpuri pit fatal accident: Officials suspected of negligence suspended, says Delhi minister
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday said the government has suspended the officials suspected of negligence in connection with the death of a motorcyclist who fell into a pit dug up for construction work by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in west Delhi's Janakpuri area.
After inspecting the site, Sood said a committee was formed immediately after his visit on Friday morning.
"Immediate action was taken under the guidance of the water minister, and after the chief minister's intervention, all officials suspected of negligence have been suspended," Sood said.
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The minister further added that FIRs have been registered against both the DJB and the contractor involved.
"If any DJB officials are found guilty during the inquiry, cases will be registered against them as well. Legal action is also being taken against the contractor for negligence, and arrests are being carried out as part of the ongoing police action," he said.
The deceased motorcyclist, identified as Kamal, a resident of Kailashpuri and an employee at a private bank's call centre, was on his way home from his office in Rohini when the accident occurred on Friday, police said.
Expressing grief over the loss of a young life, the minister said, "Our pain and sorrow cannot bring the man back, but I assure you that the chief minister is personally monitoring the entire case and ensuring timely updates."
Referring to the traffic disruption in the area, Sood said that the construction work on this key road connecting Vikaspuri and adjoining areas would face delays due to the accident.
"To minimise inconvenience to residents, we are taking necessary steps to ensure smooth movement of traffic on a single carriageway in both directions," he said.
A joint inspection was conducted by officials from the Delhi Police, municipal corporation, Delhi Traffic Police, DJB and the Public Works Department to expedite the restoration of the road.
Sood said the DJB had issued a circular on January 26 directing all departments to ensure compliance with safety norms.
"As the urban development minister, I am also writing to the municipal corporation and other departments. After this incident, we will ensure there are no lapses or negligence is repeated," he said.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the pit was a part of the ongoing DJB construction work, and had been barricaded, the police added.
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Women BJP MLAs protest against opposition in UP assembly premises
Lucknow (PTI): Women BJP MLAs held a protest in the Vidhan Bhawan complex before the one-day special session of Uttar Pradesh assembly, slamming the opposition for defeating the passage of a bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Law, in the Lok Sabha.
This followed another demonstration by Samajwadi Party MLAs, who alleged that the BJP was misleading public in the name of women's reservation.
The women BJP legislators assembled in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue in the assembly premises, holding banners inscribed with the slogan "Insult to Matrushakti (women's power), India will not tolerate it". The protesting members entered the main hall of Vidhan Bhawan carrying the banners.
Participating in the protest, the state Minister for Women Welfare and Child Development, Baby Rani Maurya, told reporters that all opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, had opposed the women's reservation, a stance for which they would have to pay a heavy political price.
"On this issue, all of us women stand united. We will ensure that we secure our reservation," she said.
BJP MLA Ketki Singh remarked that their protest represents the collective outrage of millions of women across the state.
Singh asserted that the opposition has betrayed women by creating hurdles in the path of women's reservation. The current demonstration is merely the beginning, and very soon, women from every street, intersection and household will join the protest movement, she said.
Minister Vijaylakshmi Gautam said, "We strongly condemn the despicable act committed by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in an attempt to hold back 'half the population' (women). Their action was directed against the very bill that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced to empower and strengthen Nari Shakti (women's power), and which he strived to pass expeditiously."
Uttar Pradesh assembly is holding a one-day special session on Thursday. During the session, the government is set to move a censure motion against the opposition parties over their failure to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, in the Lok Sabha.
