Cong demands CBI inquiry into Barabazar fire

Kolkata, Jan 14: The West Bengal Congress today alleged that the Burrabazar fire was the fallout of an unholy nexus between the Left Front government and the promoters and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Talking to newspersons here, CLP leader Manas Bhuniya alleged that the inferno bore an ample testimony to the fact that the city was very much susceptible to fire and also bore open the "pitiable" condition of the Fire Brigade department and said the latter lacked technical device to resist the fire. Though earlier fire broke out in New Market, Firpo Market, Manglahat and other market places, still the administration had failed to adopt any concrete plan for prevention.

"We are sending letters to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta with a demand for CBI inquiry into the Burrabazar fire, rehabilitation packages for the affected businessmen and publication of a white paper on the incident," the CLP leader stated.

Referring to the city Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee's statement, Mr Bhuniya said, " The government should remove the present Mayor because he is a part-timer and should post a full-timer Mayor. "

UNI