Pune: Thirteen labourers were killed and several others trapped when a slab of an upcoming college building collapsed in a village here yesterday, police said.
The incident took place in Lonikand village, around 30km from Pune city, where a new building of an ayurvedic medical college was being constructed.
“Many labourers were working on the fourth floor of the building when a slab gave way. We had initially pulled out bodies of four labourers. The toll has gone up to 13 now,” a police official said.
“Rescue operations are still under way and we are checking if there are more people trapped under the debris. However, most of them have been pulled out. One other labourer under treatment is in critical condition,” he added. However, the identities of those killed have not been ascertained yet.IANS
Land bill no remedy for conflict, says rights group
NEW DELH: India’s land acquisition bill which the Congress-led government hopes to pass this week will only set the stage for more conflict, land rights groups said yesterday.
The government aims to present the bill in parliament after the cabinet approved the measure, which is seen as a crucial reform to increase infrastructure development and spur slowing economic growth.
“After the legislation, the nation can expect rising civil unrest in response to major projects,” Shankar Gopalakrishnan, secretary of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a tribal rights group, said. “It does not address the fundamental issue of democratic decision-making over how the land is used.” The bill aims to provide extra protection for landowners by requiring developers to get the consent of up to 80 percent of people whose land is taken for projects. But campaigners say it does not go far enough.
“The proposed bill will result in the same manipulation and forgery that goes on now,” Gopalakrishnan said.AFP
