Kolkata Durga Puja safety under scrutiny as CM Adhikari deploys STF, CID in SIT probe
Kolkata, October 18: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday night formed a special team to review arrangements at Kolkata’s major Durga Puja pandals, directing committees to act on its findings, while also announcing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising STF and CID officers to probe the stampede accident.
Following the horrific accident at the Durga Puja pandal in Chorbagan, North Kolkata, the state administration has increased vigilance regarding the security of other major puja pandals in the city.
The inspection team will include Rajesh Singh, Secretary of the State Disaster Management Department, Anuj Sharma, Director General of the Fire Department, and Javed Shamim, Additional Director General of the Special Task Force (STF). The Kolkata Police will provide necessary support to the team, while the State Director General of Police will guide the inspection. After inspecting the pandals, the team will submit its report to State Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh.
The Chief Minister has clearly instructed the puja committees to follow the inspection team’s recommendations. He stated that if a pandal’s structure is weak and any changes to it pose a risk of damage or collapse, puja and resolutions can only be performed by priests. LED screens can be installed outside for devotees to broadcast events inside the pandal.
After receiving information about the accident on Saturday night, the Chief Minister rushed to the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where the injured were admitted. He held an emergency meeting with the hospital administration and reviewed the arrangements for the treatment of the injured. Later that night, he also visited the site of the incident at Chorbagan and took stock of the situation.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister stated that the formed team would inspect major puja pandals in the city. Puja committees must adhere to safety guidelines and limit puja gatherings if necessary.
The Chief Minister also announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the Chorbagan accident. It will include officers from various agencies, including the Special Task Force (STF) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CID). The investigation team will be headed by a judge. The Chief Minister will write to Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge of the Calcutta High Court. The proposed investigation team will record eyewitness statements and investigate various aspects of the accident to determine the cause.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata, visited the hospital on Sunday morning to meet with the injured. He expressed his condolences to the affected families and assured them of all possible assistance. In light of the accident, the Home Minister had already announced the cancellation of all his scheduled programs. Meanwhile, Governor R.N. Ravi also visited the hospital to inquire about the well-being of the injured.
The list of deceased in Saturday night’s accident includes Aarti Sarkar Biswas (45), Tagar Bej (37), Tania Biswas (18), Sneha Bhandari (20), Sandeep Bej (14), Piyali Pramanik (25), Priya Samaddar (18), Pranjal Sarkar (13), Dilip Ghosh (59), Kalpana Jana (46), Sriparna Poddar (26), Mithu Mandal (45), Akriti Kumari (17), Varnali Haldar (17), Shubham Shankar (33), Bikash Bhattacharya (66), and Deepali Ghosh. Two members of the same family from Bihar, Abhishek Srivastava (38) and Ayansh Kumar Srivastava (7), were reportedly killed in the accident.
The Chief Minister has announced financial assistance for the families of those killed and injured. The state government will provide a compensation of 2.5 million rupees to each family of the deceased. Additionally, one member of each deceased family will be given a Group D job. The state government will bear the entire cost of treatment for the injured and provide financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has also announced financial assistance of 2 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees to the injured.
