High level committee to fix responsibility in Katchuluru boat tragedy

Amaravati: The state government has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to scan all the failures and fix the responsible persons in the boat accident took place at Katchuluru, on Thursday, which is the second committee to probe into the incident.high-level

A boat namely Vasista Punnami Royal (G+1) was capsized at Katchuluru near Mantur village in Devipatnam Mandal of Rampachodavaram division in East Godavari district on September 15, carrying 76 passengers including 8 crew team, which claimed the lives of 28 persons and it may increase.

The inquiry committee will have six higher officials from various relevant departments. Special Chief Secretary of Irrigation will act as Chairman, Special Chief Secretary of Revenue, Principal Secretary of Tourism, Additional Director General (Law and Order), Director of Ports as members. The East Godavari District Collector will act as Convener for the high-level committee.

Chief Secretary LV Subrahmanyam has directed the committee members to examine all causes for an unfortunate boat accident, fix responsibility of the concerned, suggest measures that such incidents should not reoccur in future. The Committee also has to suggest on physically restraining un-licensed, un-fit, unregistered boats at the ferry point at ground level. CS also mandated the committee to suggest on running of the control room at ferry points, training for boat drivers, follow up action on earlier instructions. in addition to that, the committee asked to focus on framing guidelines for movement in pre-flood, flood times and its implementation thereon. The Chief Secretary also asked the members to recommend on any important issue that they may come across during the course of an inquiry.

Subrahmanyam has mandated the committee to submit the report within 21 days.

On the other hand, the state government also constituted a Magisterial committee headed by Joint Collector of the district to probe into the issue and directed him to submit the report within a couple of months.