Moulivakkam Porur Building Collapse: TN Govt Blame On The Builder..

* The foundation designed & executed by the builder was inadequate for stable construction of a 12 storeyed building.

* The column designs are also inadequate to bear the dead weight of such a heavy structure.

* The builder removed many columns in the basement for creating more space for car parking.

Exactly 2 months after the Moulivakkam near Porur building collapse that killed about 60 people, the Tamilnadu state government on Thursday filed a report in the Madras high court putting the blame on the builder.

"Witnesses & experts revealed that the building collapsed due to the fault in the structural design & poor execution of work," the report said. It said columns were removed at will, iron rods were not properly tied and site engineers were inexperienced.

DMK treasurer Mr. M.K. Stalin, who had filed a PIL seeking CBI probe into the collapse, filed an additional affidavit slamming the one-man commission's report and a chargesheet filed in a Sriperumbudur court, saying attempts were being made to gloss over ministers' involvement in the tragedy.

"The report was prepared by officials to safeguard and shield their skin & that of the ministers involved in it. It is unheard that the offenders involved in a ghastly incident were allowed to prepare the report in the name of one-man commission," Mr. Stalin said.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Mr. Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Mr.  M Sathyanarayanan adjourned the case to October 13, 2014 for further hearing.

The status report, relying on experts' opinion, said: "Investigation disclosed that the foundation designed & executed by the builder was inadequate for stable construction of a 12 storeyed building. The column designs are also inadequate to bear the dead weight of such a heavy structure. The builder removed many columns in the basement for creating more space for car parking."

The building also collapsed due to a fault in the structural design and poor execution, it said, adding that 9 people, including the construction company's owner, were accused in the chargesheet filed before a Sriperumbudur court, it said.

Mr. P Wilson, Senior Counsel for Stalin, however, expressed disbelief at the number of deaths, and demanded the wage register ascertain the actual number of workers in the building when it collapsed. He also questioned the speed with which the inquiry commission was constituted and its head named by the government. Pointing out that the commission's report as well as the police chargesheet were filed on the same day, August 25, 2014 he wondered whether it was a mere coincidence. 

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