Amid mounting controversy over the death of 35 Vaishno Devi pilgrims in a landslide and growing questions over the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) for “ignoring” adverse weather alerts, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday evening constituted a three-member committee to probe the causes of the tragedy.
The Lieutenant Governor ordered the constitution of a three-member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Jal Shakti) Shaleen Kabra to inquire into the August 26 landslide near Ardhkuwari on the Vaishno Devi track. Divisional Commissioner Jammu and IGP Jammu are the two other members of the committee.
The committee has been asked to examine in detail the causes/reasons behind the incident and point out any lapses, assess responses in the form to rescue and relief measures undertaken, and suggest appropriate SOPs and measures for preventing recurrence of such incidents in the future.
The committee shall submit its report to the Lieutenant Governor within two weeks.
Earlier in the day, the ruling National Conference leadership had demanded a judicial inquiry into the tragedy.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday questioned the authorities for permitting the yatra to continue despite a high-scale alert of adverse weather conditions.
Omar expressed grief over the deaths in the Vaishno Devi landslide and asked why officials did not stop pilgrims from treading the track when there was a warning of the calamity.
The Chief Minister said, “When we knew about the weather, should we not have taken certain steps to save those lives? The weather warning had come to us a few days ago.”
He further questioned officials, “Why were these people on the track? Why were they not stopped? Why were they not moved to a safe place? This has to be discussed later. We feel sorrow over the loss of precious lives.”
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Lieutenant Governor over the continuation of the Vaishno Devi yatra despite a red alert for heavy rainfall and cloudburst.
“The LG, who is chairman of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, must explain. When there was a clear weather warning, why was the yatra not halted?” Choudhary said.
Holding the administration responsible for the death of 35 devotees, he called for a high-level probe by the Centre to examine the role of the LG and senior officials. “Strict action should be taken and an FIR registered,” he demanded.
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to constitute a high-level inquiry to probe the role of the LG and senior officers, demanding strict action and registration of an FIR.