The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has suspended an engineer in connection with a tragic manhole death in the Manjalpur area. However, this action has failed to satisfy the opposition Congress party and local civic activists, who are demanding that the civic body also name the senior officials responsible for overseeing the work at the Manjalpur water tank project.
Congress Alleges Multiple Lapses in Police Complaint
Before the formal First Information Report (FIR) was registered, the city unit of the Congress submitted a detailed application to the Vadodara Police Commissioner. The complaint alleged several critical lapses that directly led to the fatal incident and held VMC officials accountable.
The Congress application stated that the road had been dug up for pipeline work and that large pipes were left unattended at the site. Crucially, there were no warning signs or barricades to alert pedestrians and motorists of the hazard. It further alleged that the stretch, despite being a main road, suffered from poor lighting, and dense vegetation along the sides had severely worsened visibility at night.
Activists and Family Seek Justice
Activist Swejal Vyas, who met the victim's family and officials at the Manjalpur police station on Tuesday, strongly criticized the VMC's approach. He asserted that the civic body could not simply wash its hands of the incident. "It is unfortunate that only the contractor has been named as an accused. We will pursue the matter further," Vyas stated, echoing the sentiment that the suspension of a junior engineer was insufficient.
The complaint filed by the Congress named specific officials believed to be responsible for these safety lapses. It also included the VMC commissioner and local corporators, arguing that oversight failure occurred at multiple levels.
VMC's Action and Ongoing Scrutiny
While the VMC's own police complaint did not name any of its engineers as accused, it took internal disciplinary action. The civic body suspended additional assistant engineer Atul Bhalgamiya for negligence in connection with the case. Furthermore, the VMC has issued a notice to deputy executive engineer Harikrishna Manani, indicating that the internal probe is looking at various levels of responsibility.
Despite these steps, political and civic pressure is mounting for a more comprehensive investigation. The core demand from the opposition and activists is that the VMC cannot absolve itself of broader responsibility for the systemic failures that created the dangerous conditions on a public road, ultimately leading to the loss of life.
