Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif visited Sundar Industrial Estate Wednesday and inspected the site of the factory which had collapsed. Later presiding over a high level meeting, he expressed his indignation and strongly reprimanded the authorities concerned for their negligence.
Addressing the meeting at Sundar Industrial Estate, Shahbaz Sharif said that he was still grieved at the tragic incident of the collapse of the factory. He said that the government equally shares the grief of the bereaved families. He said that factory owners will give financial assistance of Rs 2,000,000 each to the families of deceased labourers while Rs 1,000,000 each will be given to those who have become disabled. Similarly, a sum of Rs 5 lakh each will be given to injured labourers. He ordered that stern legal action should be taken against the persons involved and warned that the persons responsible will not escape punishment.
He said that those who fled from the country will be brought back through Interpol. He lamented that 45 labourers have lost their lives only due to lust of money of self-motivated elements. He said that the institutions concerned are also guilty of criminal negligence as they have not discharged their responsibilities. He said that the authorities of Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company, Sundar Industrial Estate, Industrial Department and Labour Department paid no attention to legal constructions in the factory while no attempt was also made to control child labour. He said that industrial building regulations were not implemented during the construction of the factory that has collapsed. He said had concerned institutions ensured implementation of these regulations, this tragedy would not have happened and 45 persons have not lost their lives.
The Chief Minister strongly reprimanded the authority concerned and said that concerned departments did not discharge their responsibility in a proper manner. He also ordered to complete survey of all industrial estates within a month and directed Labour and Industry Departments to conduct a comprehensive survey of industries situated in industrial estates and submit a report. The Chief Minister directed Industry Minister that child labour should be eliminated from industries and brick kilns within a month. He said that Minister Industries should personally visit industrial estates and review the all matters. He said that a comprehensive strategy should be evolved and implemented for controlling such tragic incident in future. He said that the collapse of the factory was extremely shocking and all his sympathies are with the families of the deceased labourers. He said that Board of Directors of Sundar Industrial Estate and PIEDMC have shown negligence with regard to monitoring of industrial units and their supervision system was poor.
He said that Industry and Labour Departments also failed to perform their duties. He said that the mechanism to regulate industrial units is not visible and completion certificates were issued recklessly. Moreover, he said that by-laws with regard to quality control were openly violated but it is unfortunate that no concerned institution came into action nor any visit was paid to the factory to review the situation.
The Chief Minister further said that the death of 45 poor labourers is a big tragedy and had there been a proper system of check and balance, the tragedy would not have occurred. He regretted that physical inspection of the factory had not been conducted. He said that Sundar Industrial Estate which is an autonomous institution does not seem to have an effective monitoring system does not even have the basic ability to check industrial units. Shahbaz Sharif also asked Labour Department what check and balance it had with regard to child labour in the collapsed factory. He lamented that child labour was engaged in organised industrial estate but the concerned department did not pay attention. He directed Minister for Labour to eliminate child labour from industrial units and brick kilns within a month and the department should work in an active manner in this regard.
The Chief Minister said that he is answerable to the people. He said that Secretaries of the departments included in Board of Directors of PIEDMC also did not perform their duty efficiently. He said that the condition of Sundar Industrial Estate worth billion of rupees is intolerable. He said that the whole country is grieved over this tragic incident and persons responsible will face punishment at any cost.
He issued instructions for setting up of a committee in this regard and directed that it should fix responsibility for the tragedy and also present recommendations to prevent such incident in future. He also ordered a survey of all industrial units within a month and directed that Industry and Labour Departments should present a survey report regarding implementation of regulations in the industrial estates and necessary amendment will be made in the by-laws where required. He said that lesson should have been learnt from such tragic incidents in the past and there is a need to evolve a comprehensive roadmap to control them in future.
Convenor Inquiry Committee Secretary Industries presented initial report regarding the incident and told that industrial building regulations were not implemented in the construction of the building besides sub-standard material was used. Moreover, Building Control Division of Sundar Industrial Estate never carried out inspection of the factory. He said that profit is not earned at the cost of innocent lives but only through hard work. Concerned departments should work efficiently and build their capacity while basic reforms should be introduced.
The Chief Minister thanked Pak Army, Rescue-1122, district administration Lahore, Police and authorities of other concerned departments for taking part in rescue and relief operation and saving lives of 103 persons and said that the performance of these institutions have been commendable. District Co-ordination Officer Lahore while informing about rescue and relief operation informed that 45 labourers were killed in the tragedy while 103 persons were rescued from the collapsed building. Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Muhammad Shafiq, Chief Secretary, concerned secretaries and senior authorities of PIEDMC, Sundar Industrial Estate and other institutions were present on the occasion.
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