Satya Niketan collapse: Sood slams past govts for decades of neglect

Delhi Minister Ashish Sood blamed past Congress and AAP governments for the Satya Niketan building collapse, citing decades of neglect. He announced a new law for PG accommodations and the suspension of top officials for negligence.

Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Monday launched a sharp attack on previous governments following the Satya Niketan building collapse, accusing past administrations of decades of neglect and bad governance. Sood said, "The Congress and AAP are team A and team B who have neglected during their rule. No reforms were carried out by the previous AAP Government. They did not bring out any rules and regulations for regulating PG accommodation, particularly in the areas of colleges and universities. The previous dispensation was exploiting the situation with the motive of earning and making money."

Rectifying a Legacy of Neglect

Highlighting the current administration's ongoing struggle against this past failure, he said, "We have been in governance of one and a half years. We are giving governance as well as working to correct the misgovernance of the 10-12 years of the previous government. The challenge before the government is twofold—it must deliver good governance in 1.5 years while also rectifying the legacy of the rotten infrastructure and institutional neglect from the A-team–B-team's 27 years."

Grief Over Tragic Incident

Connecting the incident to the tragic cost of this neglect, the Minister expressed deep grief over the loss of lives. Sood said, "The Satya Niketan accident is extremely tragic. Our deepest condolences are with every family affected by this incident."

Corrective Measures and New Regulations

Moving to corrective measures, the Minister assured that the government is taking swift action to protect students in education hubs. Sood said, "We are already working on the law to regulate PG accommodation, particularly for students. The regulation will see the light of day very soon."

He added that the Urban Development Department is drafting a comprehensive bill covering key areas like rent control, food quality standards, and local businesses, the ministry said.

Accountability for Negligence

Enforcing immediate accountability on officials for the mishap, the Minister said, "That is why decisive steps are being taken, not just words. For the first time in history, Deputy Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation Rakesh Kumar, the highest-ranking Superintendent Engineer of the zone's engineering department, and the Executive Engineer have been suspended for negligence.”

“Action against negligence. Reforms in the system. Safety first. Accountability first. Delhi first", he stated.

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