Delhi Minister Criticizes Officials Over Inaction amid Coaching Institute Crisis

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj criticizes senior officials for inaction on waterlogging, following the death of three students in Rajendra Nagar. Accusations fly against LG VK Saxena and BJP. AAP MP Sanjay Singh promises action while MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar responds with demolition plans and suspensions.

New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused senior officials of failing to address the waterlogging crisis, which has sparked national outrage following the deaths of three students at a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar.

Bharadwaj revealed that he issued a notice on February 6 to convene a meeting with all senior officials, including the MCD Commissioner, to discuss preventative de-silting measures. 'Despite numerous calls to IAS officers, including Naresh Kumar, none attended the meeting. This displays a lack of seriousness towards the issue,' he stated at a press conference. He also criticized Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for politicizing the issue, stating, 'When the LG visited Old Rajinder Nagar, he was met with slogans against him and rejection by students. His visit appeared more politically motivated than a genuine attempt to address the issue.'

Earlier, AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of conspiring with the LG and promised action against non-complying officials. 'It is unfortunate that many coaching centres are illegally operating in basements. The responsibility lies with the LG of Delhi to take action against the officials involved,' Singh declared. Amid protests in the national capital, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar deemed the incident 'very sad' and announced plans for demolition of encroachments, recovering the drainage system, and taking action against illegal basement operations. The MCD has also terminated a Junior Engineer and suspended an assistant engineer, seeking an explanation from the concerned Executive Engineer.