The bizarre reactions to Kolkata flyover collapse

It seems nobody is ready to take the responsibility of a tragedy that killed at least 25 people and injured more than twice that number. Given the fact that the West Bengal is going to polls next month, it was expected that the opposition parties will come down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee government after the Kolkata flyover collapse.

However, the way the chief minister responded to the allegations levelled by the Opposition, and the way the contractors building the flyover refused to consider themselves responsible for the mishap was saddening.

Here’s a list of a few remarks which added to the anguish of people in the aftermath of the tragedy.

‘It's an accident, how can we fix responsibility?’

“We are also shocked that flyover collapsed and want to know why it happened. This is an accident, how can we fix responsibility on someone,” P Sita, the legal team head of IVRCL, the company building the flyover, said on Friday.

She added that the incident was not a case of negligence. “The material used in constructing 59 pillars was used in the 60th pillar also. Unfortunately, it collapsed,” he said.

‘God is responsible, not us’

“It’s nothing but a God’s act,” was how a senior official of IVRCL reacted after the collapse. “It’s nothing but a God’s act. So far in 27 years, we have constructed several number of bridges...such accident never happened,” K Panduranga Rao, group head (human resource and admin) of the Hyderabad-based company said.

‘Not a quality issue’

Another IVCRL official denied any quality or technical issue as the cause behind the incident. “It’s not due to any quality issue, nor any technical issue, as of now,” director

(operations),A G K Murty said. Murty said that 70 per cent of work on construction of the flyover had been completed, and on Thursday 60th slab was being ‘done’ (when it collapsed).

Knew nothing about the tender: CM

In response to the allegations levelled by the Opposition, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the previous Left Front government, during whose rule the construction of the flyover began, was responsible for the collapse. “The tender was awarded during the Left rule. We did not know anything about it,” the CM said.

‘Unfair to blame us’

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said it’s unfair to blame the party. He said it was not an MP's responsibility to see bridge built.