Barge P-305 sinking: MVA demands Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Rattled by a large number of deaths of crew members and oil workers in accommodation barge Papaa-305 at ONGC’s Mumbai High offshore development area along Maharashtra coast, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi demanded the resignation of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and action against the top brass of the public-sector oil exploration company.

The leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress accused the ONGC officials of ignoring the warnings of the IMD, which had issued the forecast for Cyclone Tauktae on May 11.

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The cyclone hit the Maharashtra coast on Sunday and then it intensified as it passed over the Mumbai High and made a landfall in Gujarat.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide and Shiv Sena spokesperson Arvind Sawant, who is also the President of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, questioned the Centre and the BJP. “If there would have been a similar incident in Maharashtra, the BJP would have demanded resignations,” he said.

Sawant, the MP of Mumbai South, said: “The ONGC is under the Petroleum Ministry headed by Dharmendra Pradhan… Why don’t the BJP leaders seek his resignation? Who will be held accountable for the huge number of lives in this tragedy, give compensation and other relief... merely pointing fingers won’t do.”

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP said that the warnings were ignored.

Also read: 38 from P-305 barge still missing; Death toll at 37

“Everyone was made aware of Tauktae cyclone and warnings were sent out for all to take necessary precautions. Local government agencies had made arrangements for people on coastal areas to move to safer places and fishermen were asked not to venture into the seas,” Malik pointed out.

“Due to their failure to do so, the lives of 600 innocent workers were put in danger. Around 45 to 50 people are still missing and many have lost their lives due to this negligence,” he said, demanding that a case be booked for culpable homicide.

Maharashtra Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant said: “This is clearly a man-made tragedy as the warning of imminent Tauktae Cyclone had been given in advance. Dharmendra Pradhan must resign taking moral responsibility… Action must be taken against all those responsible for endangering the lives of workers.

The Modi government's reckless approach in handling Covid-19 already caused deaths of lakhs of people and it is continuing to exhibit the same. When will the Modi government learn lessons from their grave mistakes?”