New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- A day after seven people were killed in the Satya Niketan PG collapse, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) issued a seven-point list of demands, calling for an independent criminal probe into the alleged "larger PG mafia", accountability of officials and political actors, time-bound structural audits and government hostels for students.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said its first demand was an independent criminal investigation into the collapse, which should go beyond the property owner and examine the alleged nexus between owners, politicians and others associated with PG establishments. "The larger PG Mafia needs to be investigated," Das said in a post on X.
The second demand was for engineering-grade structural audits of buildings housing students, as well as schools and colleges, within a fixed timeframe. The organisation's third demand was rehabilitation of students affected by the collapse, along with strict enforcement against illegal constructions through sealing and penalties on owners.
The CJP's fourth demand was a public, searchable database of student accommodation establishments.
As its fifth demand, the organisation called for construction of government hostels for Delhi University and other students, arguing that a long-term solution was needed to the shortage of regulated and safe student accommodation.
The sixth demand related to compensation. The CJP sought up to Rs 1 crore for the families of those who died and Rs 20 lakh for those injured in the collapse.
Its seventh demand was to fix ministerial and official accountability and ensure transparency in the functioning of the 13 district committees constituted following the June 3 Malviya Nagar hotel fire.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.