Charges framed against 16 employees for blast in TNHB quarters

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) has framed charges against 16 of its employees after conducting an enquiry into the blast at TNHB’s Single Person Rental Quarters at New Avadi Road on April 27 this year.

TNHB sources told Express that the decision to initiate action against the employees came after chief revenue officer of Tamil Nadu Housing Board submitted a detailed report following a bomb explosion in flat number 10 of the building. Charges were framed under section 37 (b) of TNHB Service Regulation 1969.

The action was initiated after the enquiry found out that power connections in the flat were given in the name of private individuals instead of TNHB and the 16 officials failed to check and rectify the illegal service connections to the flat. TNHB has already suspended a junior engineer of Anna Nagar division after the incident.

Sources said the building had nine shops in ground floor and 10 single quarters in first floor. Only four flats (four, six, seven and eight) were occupied while the remaining six were not allotted to anyone and kept locked.

Flat number 10 was occupied by unauthorized persons and had all facilities with television and other amenities like false roof for comfortable living.

Sources said disciplinary action would also be initiated against 24 officials who have retired within four years from the incident as per the pension rules.

Sources said disciplinary action could not be initiated against 22 officials as they retired from TNHB on superannuation prior to four years from the date of incident.