Shillong Assembly: Criminal negligence caused fire

SHILLONG, January 12: Three days after the virtual 'heritage' Meghalaya Assembly building was totally devoured by an inferno, it is becoming clearer that it was not merely an accident but 'criminal' negligence on the part of the Assembly staff that wiped out the most aesthetic landmark in the state capital here. A small fire in the Room No. 13 of the private secretary to the Assembly Speaker ED Marak was doused by the staff around 4.30 pm on the fateful night of January 9. Thereafter they left for home apparently without ensuring that the fire had been totally extinguished. The shocking disclosure was made by the Meghalaya Chief Minister EK Mawlong himself on Wednesday evening though he refrained from blaming anybody at this stage since the state government has already decided to appoint a judicial probe into the catastrophe. The fire which had started around 4.30 pm obviously kept quietly feeding on the dry timber and wood structure till around 8.15 pm when the blazing fire was first reported to the fire services. Though over a dozen fire engines were immediately pressed into service, by them it was too late. What remains of the Assembly today is mangled steel beams and tins and ashes. By 10 pm when the inferno was brought under control, most of the building had already been totally gutted. The only saving grace was that the library which housed the records of the proceedings of the House since 1972 escaped the fire. When asked about the lapses of the Assembly staff, the Speaker was forthright in saying 'responsibility will be fixed.' Ironically, several passer-by noticed huge plumes of smoke coming out of the chimneys of the Assembly building from 5.30 pm onwards but ignored it on the belief that it was merely chimney smoke. Meanwhile, the Speaker today appointed an internal probe to go into the cause of fire. It will be headed by the Assembly Secretary, NST Khongjee. By Monday, a final decision will be taken on where the budget session in March will be held. A task force constituted for the purpose has short-listed the State Central Library complex and the under-construction government-owned Crowborough Hotel opposite the Assembly. With the Speaker himself not keen on the State Library, the hotel appeared destined to become the temporary Meghalaya Assembly.