No political corruption in building clearance: Manohar Parrikar

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Tuesday said there "did not appear to be any political corruption" in the clearances accorded to a five-storey building which collapsed Saturday claiming at least 17 lives.

As many as 12 bodies are believed to be still buried in the rubble.

Addressing a press conference at his official residence, Parrikar blamed a senior planner in the town planning department for fudging records and facilitating the controversial Ruby Residency project in Canacona town, 80 km south of here.

One under-construction building in the new phase of the project came down crashing Saturday.

"There appears to be no political corruption in this case, only bureaucratic corruption. If there is, let the investigation show it. We will take action against everyone," Parrikar said.

The chief minister was responding to charges levelled by the opposition, both the Congress as well as the Nationalist Congress Party, who claimed that permissions for the project were granted during the BJP regime.

The opposition also claimed that state Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar owned two flats in the same project and had backed the illegalities in the same.

"These are rubbish charges. All the main permissions were granted in 2010, when the Congress was in power. Our government was sworn in in 2012," the chief minister said.

Parrikar also said bodies of five of the 17 labourers, who died after they were buried under the debris, would be airlifted to Jharkhand.

"A principal secretary from Jharkhand is camping in Goa. He will airlift the dead back. The Jharkhand government will bear the cost," Parrikar said.