Underpass collapse: Railways,civic body shrug off responsibility

The Railways and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation have started to pass the buck following the death of five labourers in a landslide at the Parimal Crossing underpass project site on Friday.

The Railways and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have started to pass the buck following the death of five labourers in a landslide at the Parimal Crossing underpass project site on Friday.

Even as the inquiry ordered by Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam on the instructions of Chief Minister Narendra Modi may take a week to conclude,AMC officials said the responsibility lay with the Railways. The project belonged to the Railways and was being carried under their supervision.

Bhavnagar Divisional Manager Deepak Chhabra,however,said that Railways supervision was limited only up to its portion of the project and not beyond.

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Railways can be held liable if a mishap takes place within a distance of 25 metres of the track, said Chhabra.

Incidentally,even 24 hours after the mishap,no agency has ascertained the spot,a crucial parameter for fixing the liability of negligence in supervision.

The Fire Brigade,engineering and officials from the Railways have not worked out the Railways-civil portion issue as they are awaiting the outcome of the inquiry being carried out by Deputy Municipal Commissioner U C Padia.

On his part,Gautam refrained from making any comment saying the inquiry will reveal all the details. City engineer R P Mahida said irrespective of what the Railways officials say,the fact remains that it is a Railways project.

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