Volunteer’s death during mock drill: Kerala government orders probe
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 30: The Kerala government on Friday ordered a departmental inquiry into the death of a man while taking part in a mock drill organised by the Disaster Management Authority in a river in Pathanamthitta.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave a direction to Chief Secretary V P Joy in this regard, a CMO statement said.
As directed by the Chief Minister, Pathanamthitta District Collector Divya S Iyer submitted a preliminary inquiry report with regard to the incident, it said.
Binu Soman (34), who acted as a volunteer in the drill organised to assess the disaster management agencies' preparedness to deal with floods, was seen drowning at Manimala river near Keezhvaipur on Thursday.
Though the man was rescued and admitted to a private medical college hospital in Thiruvalla by the officials, who took part in the mock drill, he later died on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) registered a case into the tragic death and sought a report from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and the District Collector on the incident.
The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by a human rights activist.
The complainant alleged that if the rescue personnel had arrived on time, the life of the deceased man could have been saved.
The mock drill, without taking any precaution, was a gross violation of human rights and action should be taken against the officials who were responsible for the tragic death of the man, he further said in the complaint.
V K Beena Kumari, member, KSHRC, directed the head of the SDMA and the Pathanamthitta District Collector to submit an explanation report within the next 15 days after examining the circumstances that had led to the tragedy, an official statement here said.
The Commission would take further action after receiving the report, it added.
Mock drills were held at various places in Pathanamthitta district on Thursday as part of assessing the disaster management team's preparedness to deal with floods and landslides.
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Speaker UT Khader attends local cricket tournament during Bhatkal visit
Bhatkal: Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U. T. Khader visited Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district on Saturday and attended a local cricket match being played as part of a tournament organised by the Cosmos Sports Centre of Bhatkal.
After attending a programme at Anjuman Hami-E-Muslimeen, Khader proceeded to the Bhatkal Taluka Stadium, where the tournament is underway. He was accompanied by office-bearers of the Cosmos Sports Centre and several local community leaders.
Those present during the visit included President of Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem and former JD(S) leader Inayathullah Shabandri, Vice President of Tanzeem Atiqur Rahman Muniri, General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb MJ, President of Cosmos Sports Centre Ismail Anjum, Managing Director of Mohtisham Complexes S. M. Arshad, former president of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation Imtiyaz Udyawar, among others.
Addressing players and organisers, Khader extended his best wishes to the participating teams and urged the players to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. He said such tournaments help promote unity and brotherhood among the youth.
The cricket tournament began on November 21 and will conclude with the final match on December 21. It is being organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Cosmos Sports Centre.
Cosmos Sports Centre is one of the member clubs of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation and is known for its active role in promoting sports in the town. Apart from sporting activities, the centre is also involved in various social and community initiatives, including efforts to promote education among students.
