Cabinet committee to make on the spot study of property damage at Paravoor

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to request Union Government to declare Kollam fireworks tragedy as national disaster.

It also set up a three member committee of ministers to make an on the spot assessment of property damage and crop loss around the temple and recommend on providing relief. The committee will also examine health problems caused by the explosion such as hearing loss among the people of the locality. There were demands that they should be provided with hearing aids.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John and Health Minister V. S. Sivakumar would be members of the committee. They would visit the accident site with officials and prepare a detailed report to be considered by the Cabinet.

Mr. Chandy said that there were differing opinions over ban on fireworks. Some were of strong view that practices based on beliefs and traditions and rites should be allowed to continue. Others feel that tragedies like that happened at Paravoor should be prevented. The all-party meet on Thursday would discuss these and related issues. The decision of the meeting would be communicated to the High Court.

Referring to the suggestions of the Court that a CBI enquiry into the accident should be considered, he said that the government was willing for any kind of enquiry into the tragedy. It would communicate it to the High Court at appropriated time.

The Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate that the Opposition was trying to politicise the tragedy. Referring to the CPI (M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan demanding resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, the Chief Minister asked whether Mr. Balakrishnan had resigned when similar accidents such as those at Sabarimala and Thekkady occurred while he was in power.

He parried questions as to why the present government failed to act on the recommendations of the enquiry commission that probed the Thekkady boat tragedy and what would be the fate of the recommendations of the commission appointed to probe the Paravoor tragedy.