paid-bribe-for-fire-noc-admits-bjp-rajya-sabha-mp

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, Ram Mokariya, has stirred controversy by revealing that he paid a bribe of Rs 70,000 to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.

 

His admission comes in the wake of a tragic incident where 27 people lost their lives in a massive fire at TRP Game Zone, a recreational center in Rajkot, which reportedly operated without a fire NOC.

 

Mokariya, speaking to the media, shared his "personal experience" to shed light on what he describes as "widespread corruption" in Rajkot. He clarified that he paid the bribe to deputy fire officer BJ Theba around five years ago when he was a businessman and not yet a member of the Rajya Sabha.

 

The BJP leader, also the founder-chairman of a prominent courier company, was elected to the upper house of Parliament from Gujarat in 2021.

 

“I gave Rs 70,000 nearly five years ago to Theba to get a fire NOC for a project. I have learnt he is now being questioned by police for his alleged role in the game zone fire. I just wanted to highlight that corruption is widespread and I have made representations about it in the past too,” Mokariya told reporters.

According to Mokariya, the fire officer later returned the bribe money to him after he became a Rajya Sabha member.

 

“Everyone knows that corruption is everywhere. I have been exposing corrupt officials for a long time. In the past, I had openly said that Rajkot’s town planning officer had been indulging in corruption for the last 10 years,” Mokariya said.

 

In response to the tragic fire incident, the Gujarat government has suspended seven officials, including two police inspectors. Additionally, five individuals, including the owners of the game zone, have been arrested. Three IPS officers have also been transferred out of Rajkot following the tragedy.

 

The Gujarat High Court, expressing dismay over the incident, criticized the Rajkot civic body for its inaction, questioning whether it turned a blind eye to the construction of such a large structure without proper permissions.