Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): Congress councillor Sarika Singh Thakur has demanded criminal charges against municipal officials following two fatal accidents in Dhar city, where women lost their lives – one from a falling tree and another in an open well. The councillor has called for financial assistance from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for the bereaved families.
In a scathing criticism of municipal authorities, Thakur identified several high-risk areas across the city, including a dead tree near the Municipal Council president’s chamber and an unstable banyan tree at Bohra Bakhal intersection.
She emphasised that despite her repeated alerts about these hazards, municipal authorities have failed to take preventive measures. The councillor expressed frustration over the lack of response from city leadership, noting the irony that women hold key positions, including local MLA, MP and Municipal Council president, yet accidents involving women victims receive inadequate attention.
She criticised municipal staff, including timekeepers and engineers, for neglecting their duty to monitor and address potential dangers in the city.
According to Thakur, numerous letters to the district collector and municipal council requesting safety measures, such as installing protective nets around open wells, have been ignored. She has demanded a thorough investigation into both incidents and blacklisting of negligent contractors. Threatening to launch public protests if immediate action isn’t taken, Thakur stressed the urgent need for accountability and proper infrastructure maintenance to prevent future tragedies.
