40 cr BMC HQ branded unsafe: Man dies after fall, safety fears intensify

Bhopal: A 70-year-old man has died after falling from the porch of the newly built Bhopal Municipal Corporation headquarters, reigniting concerns over safety lapses in the Rs 40 crore structure.70-year-old Shyam Sundar Saxena, a resident of Kokta Multi-storey, was taken to JP Hospital in a BMC vehicle on Thursday. Later in the evening, district hospital in-charge and civil surgeon Dr. Sanjay Jain confirmed he had succumbed to his injuries. Police have been notified and a preliminary medico-legal case has been registered.The accident occurred around 4 pm when Saxena fell through a 1.5–2 ft gap in the first-floor porch boundary wall. The building, located on Link Road No 2, has not yet been inaugurated.The headquarters has been branded a "death trap" after another defect surfaced: an open shaft near the rear stairs with no wall or railing, leaving employees and visitors exposed to a sheer drop.Despite unfinished furniture, electrical, and construction work, branches including Housing for All, Civil, PR, and Electrical have already shifted in, with more departments being relocated.BMC In-charge engineer Pramod Malviya said an inquiry is underway into how Saxena reached the porch, noting the HFA office is on the seventh floor. He assured that all open and hazardous areas are being sealed.