Amid all the attention from political parties to the Pol family, another family residing on the fourth floor of Gokul Nivas, the building that collapsed after a fire in Kalbadevi, said they were nowhere in the picture as far as offer of help was concerned. The impending wedding of a daughter in the Pol family that had lost their possessions, including all that they had bought for the wedding scheduled for the end of the month, had caught the attention of political parties, which offered help. [related-post] The other family, the Mandavkars, was at Ratnagiri at the time of the fire and rushed back immediately on hearing the news. The family has been residing in Gokul Nivas building for over 40 years. Shantaram Mandavkar (49) said, “They (the Pols) are getting all the support because there is a marriage in the family. We have been kept out of the picture. We have not been offered any help as yet. We have lost close to Rs 15 lakh, cash and jewellery, in the incident.” Mandavkar’s wife, three children and brother returned from the village on Sunday morning. They have now been given transit accommodation at the Girni Kamgaar Tower in Prabhadevi. Mandavkar owns an optical shop in Nalasopara. Dead fireman’s wife refuses money Senior fire officer Sanjay Rane’s wife Medha Rane has refused to accept money offered by the Congress and the NCP to the family. They had offered Rs 1 lakh each. Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Sanjay Rane lost his life during the rescue operations at Kalbadevi on Saturday. Rane is survived by his wife and two children, who stay at the staff quarters of Memonwada fire station in Bhendi Bazaar. tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com
