Govt action against Mirc only after expert tips

The Uttarakhand police on Sunday indicated that there would not be immediate action against Mirc Electronics Ltd that reported a major fire in its Roorkee factory in Haridwar district. The tragedy had killed 11 people.

An FIR under Section 304 of the IPC has been filed against the owners of Mirc which produces the Onida brand of electronic goods, but state DGP J S Pandey said the police would take advice from experts before taking any further action. "We will seek the experts's suggestions, and consult National Safety Council before taking any action in the incident," Pandey told Business Standard.

His comments came hours after Chief Minister B C Khanduri visited the site of the charred factory and threatened to take stern action against all those whose negligence caused the fire. Khanduri also announced a compensation of Rs one lakh from the CM's relief fund to the victims. The government has also ordered a separate magisterial inquiry. As for Mirc's management, its officials have told the police that they were assessing the extent of damage caused by the fire. The factory is covered under insurance, the added.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought a detailed report on the incident amid reports that the safety standards of various factories in Uttarakhand were poor. Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Harish Rawat said he had written a letter to state chief secretary Subhash Kumar to hold a safety audit of all factories in the state.