Team Herald
PANJIM: The tragic stampede at the Shree Lairai Devi Zatra in Shirgao, which claimed six lives and injured dozens, made national headlines and drew condolences from Prime Minister NarendraModi and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi. However, Chief Minister, PramodSawant, has been dragging his feet in making the fact-finding committee’s report public, drawing criticism from the opposition and activists.
It has been four days since the four-member fact-finding committee, headed by Secretary (Revenue) Sandip Jacques, submitted its report to the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had earlier issued a statement promising a formal statement after completion of the review.
On Saturday, during an event at the Raj Bhavan, the Chief Minister urged the media not to speculate about the findings of the committee and reiterated his intention to make a statement after personally reviewing the report. Yet, by Monday, no such statement had been issued by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Goa Forward Party (GFP) president and MLA VijaiSardesai said, “I do not want to do any politics over an unfortunate stampede which brought Goa in national news for all the wrong reasons. Goans are supposed to be a civilised society of well-educated people. But we made the news for all the wrong reasons. Six lives have been lost. There must be accountability, and it has to be fixed. The Chief Minister hails from a region where the temple of Devi Lairai is situated. So, he should consciously act and ensure that those people who lost their lives get justice.”
AamAadmi Party (AAP) State president Adv Amit Palekar said, “It is the habit of the government not to make reports public when it finds fault. Contents of so many reports have not been made public. Was it not the responsibility of local MLA and the Chief Minister who was personally looking at the arrangements for the annual zatra? Why are they silent? It means they are vicariously liable. Where is the drone footage? Why are they hidden? The government wants to blame some officers and get away with it. The government has committed fraud when the temple managing committee says they were not present for the meeting held on April 30. Why was there no Judicial Commission inquiry ordered to find out who the real culprits responsible for the tragedy were?”
Activist Avertino Miranda stated, “It is clearly a cover up on the failure of the government to provide safety to the devotees. The government is answerable to the people of Goa especially to families who suffered human loss, which is deplorable and condemnable by any right thinking person. The government must be transparent and make public the repot whatever may be its outcome and initiate action against those responsible and take steps to avoid recurrence of such incidents.”
Activist Adv Pratima Coutinho commented, “Hindu Khatrem Mein Hai was the statement made by the ruling dispensation to polarise people. People in Goa live in harmony. There was a lapse and no matter what, the government has to take responsibility for the stampede which claimed six innocent lives. The government was aware of the security arrangement when a similar incident was reported in a temple at Valpoi but in Shirgao lives were lost because the government was complacent. Ex-gratia whether Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 crore cannot bring loved ones back. The delay to make the report public only goes to show that the government is trying to protect somebody and my earnest appeal to the government is that it is high time to give justice to the people.”
Activist Mahesh Nayak of Jai Damodar alleged, “The government is trying to protect Bicholim Taluka Mamlatdar, who is the administrator to devalaya and the temple managing committee, who are reported to be supporters of the ruling party. The administrator should be held responsible because there are reports that he was not present on the zatra day. The government is also trying to protect the five officers who were transferred a few hours after the tragedy.”
Goa Forward Party North Goa District General Secretary Santosh Kumar Sawant added, “It’s now four days after the fact-finding committee submitted its report on the stampede. The government is trying to hush up the inquiry report and protect those involved. Transfer of officers is not a solution, and accountability must be fixed. High-level officers have been named and held responsible for the stampede, and there is a move to shield them. All should know who is guilty, and they must be punished. The government’s intention is not clear, and it wants to protect somebody.”