Rajasthan Minister demands CBI probe in Barabazar fire in Kolkata

Jaipur, Jan 14 (UNI) Rajasthan Education Minister Kalicharan Saraf has suspected criminal conspiracy behind the Bara Bazar fire and urged the government to institute a CBI probe into the causes and circumstances of fire.

Talking to UNI over telephone from Kolkata after taking stock of situation in Barabazar area, Mr Saraf said the fire incident might be handiwork of building owners and land mafia who were eyeing on better use of this prime location.

He observed that most of the shopkeepers in the burnt complex were old ten ants and the owners wanted to get their premises vacated.

Mr Saraf also condemned the West Bengal state government for its failure in controlling the blaze even after the lapse of 60 hours and urged the government to entrust the task to the Army.

He demanded compensation of Rs ten lakh to each victim shopkeeper and easy bank loan upto Rs 50 lakh to them.

Mr Saraf has gone Kolkata alongwith a delegation of elected people's representatives from Rajasthan, to have on the spot assessment of the situation and to submit the report to the Rajasthan Government.

Over 60 per cent of the victim shopkeepers are Rajasthani, mostly hailing from Sikar, Churu and Bikaner districts and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had sent the delegation to assess the situation and extent of losses incurred by them Besides Mr Saraf, Minister of State Khemaram Meghwal,MPs Subhasg Meharia and Ram Singh Kaswan and MLAs KD Babar and Rajkumar Rinwan also visited the accident site.

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