Stop these routine statements

There are routine statements by dignitaries posted on high posts on tragedies like happened when a foot-overbridge collapsed in Mumbai on Thursday. Such usual statements expressing shock and deep regret include, a high-power committee will be set up to probe the tragedy, guilty ones will not escape punishment, compensation will be paid to kin of victims, free medical-treatment will be available for those injured etc. etc.

But since public-memory is very short, no one comes to know about report of high-level committee set up to probe and punishment provided to guilty ones thus resulting in future such incidents. Even Mumbai witnessed such incidents earlier also.Since practically no remedial measures are seen to have been taken, it is better that persons seated on high posts may not have to waste their precious time in going to the accident-site and giving routine statements.

Permanent audio and video recording can be prepared and played on the accident-site and press-conferences etc whenever such accidents occur. Otherwise highly posted persons giving such statements should be punished in case report of probe-committee published and guilty ones exposed and punished in a time-bound manner.

-Madhu Agarwal, Delhi