Don't politicise KGMU fire, minister tells oppn in UP House

Uttar Pradesh minister Ashutosh Tondon today asked the opposition not to politicise the massive fire which broke out in the Trauma Centre of Lucknow's King George's Medical University (KGMU) here last week.

No one was injured in the incident that took place on July 15.

The fire, suspected to have caused due to short circuit in the air conditioner, broke out on the second floor of the six-storied building and soon spread to other floors of the KGMU, officials had said.

"Don't convert the accident into a political issue...Is this the negligence of only the three months of this government...?" the minister for Technical and Medical Education said while speaking on the adjournment notice of BSP's Lalji Verma and Umashankar Singh, which was rejected by the Chair.
 

"Why were you not saying anything when the building was being constructed and inaugurations were being carried out in haste of buildings which were not even complete," Tondon said when Singh pointed out that fire safety measures were not in place at the Trauma Centre.

Taking a swipe at the inauguration spree during the previous Samajwadi Party government, he said, "Is it not the responsibility of the ministers, who took charge when the government was formed, or officials to monitor these things."

Stressing that government is sensitive towards the matter, Tondon said action will be taken against all those found guilty after receiving the report from Lucknow divisional commissioner, who has been asked by the chief minister to conduct an inquiry.

"All shortcomings will be plugged...Don't do politics... there is a need to learn from accidents," he stressed.

UP Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said there is a standing protocol on which licences are issued to hospitals. It is taken into account at the time of construction whether fire tenders or hose pipes can reach them.

He lamented that fire safety audits and safetly drills were not performed there.

Leader of opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary said it appeared that the "terror" of Samajwadi Party government still existed and the BJP government was unable to digest the works done during the Akhilesh Yadav government.