"Unfortunately, I did not study engineering:" Firhad admits lapse in Taratala collapse; praises Suvendu over rescue

The catastrophic collapse of an under-construction warehouse and cold storage facility in Taratala has sparked a massive political storm in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. On Thursday, Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari leveled severe allegations against the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), claiming that a fundamental structural flaw in the building's design—which had been officially cleared by the civic body—directly caused the tragedy that claimed 11 innocent lives. The Chief Minister launched a direct political attack on former KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim, holding his previous administration accountable for passing compromised structural plans.

Responding to the Chief Minister's sharp criticisms, former Mayor Firhad Hakim openly deflected direct personal accountability regarding the structural failure while addressing reporters. Hakim pointed out that the technical vetting and approval of architectural designs fall completely under the specialized jurisdiction of the municipal building department and its technical committee. "Unfortunately, I did not study engineering," Hakim stated, emphasizing that individual blueprints do not come to the mayor's desk for micro-scrutiny and that his final signature as commissioner remains a standard administrative formality.

While shifting the technical blame away from the mayoral office, Hakim openly admitted that there was a clear lapse in active field supervision by the municipal corporation's ground inspectors. He clarified that while the warehouse was not being built illegally without permission, the lack of sufficient oversight during the actual construction phase was undeniable. Hakim argued that a mayor lacks the executive authority to personally monitor day-to-day legal violations, handle notices, or verify internal structural calculations managed by specialized civic engineers.

In an unexpected political gesture, the former mayor highly praised Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari for managing the emergency response with war-like efficiency. The collapse occurred at 12:07 PM on Wednesday, prompting immediate mobilization by local police and fire brigades, followed by state disaster management units. Following a critical phone consultation between the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary at 2:30 PM, the Indian Army was deployed alongside state-of-the-art heavy machinery. Hakim thanked the Chief Minister, noting that this timely defense coordination significantly helped mitigate further loss of human life under the heavy rubble.