the truth is out

["Dr. Sanjeev Sabhlok" <sanjeev@sabhlokcity.com>]

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Though I was not at all surprised on hearing the ghastly toll in the recent
earthquake, the truth is now out (confirming what I had said yesterday on
IPI). Officials are now saying publicly that they have been selfish (read:
making money instead of  looking at building plans critically). These
"poor" rascals sucked up so much money from the public and surely made many
personal houses from the money thus sucked up. 

Sadly all their houses must have fallen too along with others since these
houses too surely did not follow any regulations. Good riddance of the
corrupt officials. (this sounds bit acutely crass, though, and these
statements may be taken in the sense they were meant: as a satire.)

Sadly, so many good citizens and the innocent children of these rascals
perished too in the process. 

This is from http://www.indian-express.com/ie/daily/20010201/ina01025.html
(Indian Express)

Officials are now admitting they messed up. Most of them have
themselves lost somebody they know or loved. All the 100 buildings that
were built over the last five years either collapsed, or, if they are still
standing, have been certified as unsafe for habitation.

Over the last two years, buildings of up to eight floors had been approved
in Bhuj without checks and balances. Countries such as Japan insist that
rules governing building in seismic zones should be sacrosanct.

In Bhuj, builders and contractors chipped away at safety considerations.
Prices reached at much as Rs 5 lakh for 1,000 square feet before the
earthquake. ``We are all selfish people. As long as it did not affect us, we
kept sanctioning building plans,'' admitted Kirit Sompura, president of the
Bhuj Municipal Corporation.


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