Morbi bridge collapse: Gujarat HC slams civic body, says 'file affidavit today or pay Rs 1 lakh fine'
The Chief Justice Kumar had instructed the MMC counsel to stop taking this matter so casually. The Court said that either the civic body should file its affidavit by today evening or pay costs of Rs 1 lakh.
FollowThe Gujarat High Court on Wednesday (November 16) pulled up the Morbi Municipal Corporation (MMC) for not filing any response to a suo motu public interest litigation case filed in the bridge collapse which led to the death of 135 persons.
The MMC has been ordered by the Court to either file its response by evening today or pay hefty costs.
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A bench comprising Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J Shastri have given the orders for the quick response to MMC.
Chief Justice Kumar had instructed the MMC counsel to stop taking this matter so casually. The Court said that either you file your affidavit by today evening or pay costs of Rs 1 lakh.
On Tuesday, the court criticised the civic authorities for handing over the contract for the operation, maintenance and repair of the Morbi bridge, which collapsed on October 30 killing 135 people, to a private party.
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It also called out the state government for the manner in which the one-and-a-half-page agreement was signed between the Morbi municipality and Oreva in March this year for the maintenance and repair of the bridge.
Meanwhile, only nine staff members of the company have been arrested, while the top management, which signed the Rs 7 crore project, has not faced any action, nor have any officers been held accountable.
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It is alleged that the company did not replace the rusted cables but installed a new flooring that proved too heavy.
The court had asked for files of the contract to be submitted in a sealed envelope. The government told the court yesterday that it worked at "lightning speed" to save lives.
