Kolkata: A political storm erupted in West Bengal on Tuesday following a massive fire that broke out early Monday morning in the Khidirpur area of south Kolkata, reducing over 1,300 shops in a bustling marketplace to ashes.
While there were no casualties reported, the estimated loss from the blaze runs into several crores of rupees. This led to sharp political exchanges between the government and the opposition.
On Tuesday afternoon, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, visited the site and launched a broadside on the state administration.
Addressing the affected shopkeepers, Adhikari alleged that the state fire services department deliberately delayed its response, enabling the complete destruction of the market. He further claimed the fire was part of a larger conspiracy to facilitate a land grab by the so-called “land mafia.”
“The fire broke out after 1 a.m. on Monday, and the local police station as well as the fire services department were informed immediately. Yet the fire tenders reportedly arrived only at 4 a.m. You can understand the kind of game that’s being played here,” Adhikari said.
He also accused the state government of selling off prime public land to private players.
“You’ve been promised an alternative market, but in reality, they’ve already sold this land. They sold the Alipore Central Jail, and they sold the Alipore Zoo land. Now, they have their eyes on your market. Soon, you’ll see shopping malls and beauty parlours instead of your stalls,” he claimed.
Several affected traders expressed similar concerns, saying the delay in the firefighting response had worsened the situation. “Had the fire services acted promptly, much of the damage could have been prevented,” said one of the shop owners.
Meanwhile, in the state Assembly on Tuesday — the seventh day of the ongoing monsoon session — State Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose strongly refuted the allegations.
“Just like our armed forces, our firefighters also risk their lives daily. The fire department’s control room received the first call at 2.05 a.m., and fire tenders were dispatched immediately,” Bose said, adding, “Senior officials, including myself, reached the spot without delay. I was there by 6 a.m.”
He also dismissed claims that the fire tenders arrived without sufficient resources. “There was no shortage of water or fuel. We later arranged to draw water from a nearby stream of the Ganges,” Bose clarified.
(IANS)
