Breaking Silence On Brahmapuram Fire, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Gives Statement In Assembly; Swapna Suresh Says M Sivasankar Involved

Breaking his silence on the Brahmapuram fire that covered Kochi and its surroundings in toxic smoke, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made a statement to the Assembly this morning (15 March).

The statement was made under Rule 300 which did not allow other MLA's to question him.

He said that no serious health problems were faced by people due to the fire and no one was in a critical condition.

The following measures were announced-

• A special investigation team of the police would investigate the criminal case filed in the incident.

• The Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) would probe the handing over of contract to Zonta Infratech, which is the firm responsible for bio-mining at the site.

• A team of technical experts would be formed to investigate the reasons for the fire and suggest measures to prevent such fires in the future.

The Health Department of the state had launched a survey on Tuesday (14 March) to take stock of the issues faced by people. Health Minister Veena George said that people had reported burning sensation in the eyes, irritation in the throat, breathlessness and skin problems.

Vijayan had been under pressure from the opposition parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to speak up on the issue since the fire first broke out.

They have alleged that norms were flouted in handing over the contract to Zonta Infratech.

Swapna Suresh, one of the prime accused in the gold smuggling case, has said that Vijayan had been silent for this long because of the involvement of M Sivasankar, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who is considered to be close to him.

Sivasankar, who was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the LIFE Mission scam, is also an accused in the gold smuggling scam.

The Kerala High Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the case. The next hearing at the Court is on 21 March.

Also Read: Kochi Residents Living In ‘Gas Chamber’, Says High Court, As Toxic Fumes From Burning Waste Dump Hover Over City For The Sixth Day