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Kharghar tragedy: Probe panel gets second extension to submit report
A committee investigating the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony, where 14 people died due to heatstroke, has been given a second extension to submit its report.
Mumbai: A single-member committee set up by the state government to probe the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in Kharghar, where 14 people had died due to heatstroke, has been given a second one-month extension to submit its report.
The event was organised on April 16 to felicitate Dr Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, a preacher-social worker, at Corporate Park, Kharghar, where 14 people died and several others were admitted to hospital. After the tragedy, the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government was criticised for poor arrangements of the event.
Later, the government announced a one-member committee, headed by additional chief secretary Nitin Kareer, to probe the incident. In the first week of May, the government fixed a four-point term of reference or scope of inquiry. In the first week of June, it gave a one-month extension to the committee to submit the report. On Thursday, the government gave a second extension.
“The committee has already taken possession of the documents regarding the planning and actual arrangements on ground from the local organising committee. Now, the committee needs time for scrutiny of the documents and actual site visits to come to a conclusion. Therefore, an extension has been approved,” according to the government order issued on Thursday July 13.
On May 3, the state government had fixed terms of reference for the probe. That order stated that the committee will get complete factual information about the incident and explain the situation. It also said that the committee will examine the work given to various machineries by the local organising committee, which was formed under the chairmanship of the Konkan divisional commissioner. It will also review the actual work done by the machinery in relief work after the incident. This committee will also submit recommendations to prevent such incidents in future.
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