New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) CPI general secretary D Raja on Sunday blamed “government negligence, incompetence and corruption” for the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi and demanded compensation for the victims and a time-bound safety audit of all paying guest accommodations, hostels and student housing in the city.
In a post on X, Raja expressed solidarity with those killed, injured and trapped under the debris and their families. He said activists of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) — a pro-CPI student outfit — were at the spot helping with relief and rescue efforts.
“The Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi is a tragic reminder of the price people are being forced to pay for government negligence, incompetence and corruption,” he said.
Raja said Delhi had witnessed several such disasters in recent months but alleged that lessons had not been learnt and accountability remained absent.
He referred to the Saket building collapse, in which six people were killed, and the Malviya Nagar fire, which he said claimed more than 20 lives.
“How many more lives must be lost before the government acts?” he asked.
Raja also raised concerns over the safety and accommodation of Delhi University students, saying many were forced to live in expensive and unsafe PGs due to inadequate hostel facilities.
“Students work hard to enter Delhi University, only to be denied hostel accommodation and forced to pay exorbitant rents for unsafe, substandard PGs. Why does every DU college not have adequate hostel facilities?” he said.
He urged the Delhi government to immediately provide “substantial compensation” to the victims and their families, fix responsibility for the alleged negligence and conduct a time-bound safety audit of all PGs, hostels and student accommodations.
Raja also called for affordable public housing for students, hostels in every DU college and strict enforcement of building norms.
“Delhi needs more than inquiries after every disaster,” he said, demanding accountability for those whose alleged corruption and negligence put lives at risk.
An around 50-year-old five-storey building housing a boys’ hostel in a congested bylane in Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed on Sunday afternoon, leaving three students dead and many trapped.
Locals claimed that there could be between 30 and 50 people in the building at the time. Authorities, however, gave no figure for those trapped.
Repair work was underway in the basement of the five-floor structure, which was used as PG accommodation, when it collapsed at around 1.30 pm. The collection of water over days of rain in the basement had weakened the building’s foundation, leading to its eventual collapse, according to locals.
Most of the students staying there were from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and studied at nearby Delhi University colleges, locals said. PTI AO RHL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.