Wall at Simhachalam was constructed in violation of guidelines, says the three-member committee chairman
The wall, which collapsed at Simhachalam on April 30, was constructed on oral instructions, without any approval and in violation of the guidelines given in the Master Plan, according to S. Suresh Kumar, chairman of the three-member committee, constituted by the government, to conduct a probe.
The wall collapse had claimed the lives of seven devotees. The quality of the construction came in for criticism from various quarters. The committee – with S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) as chairman, and Ake Ravi Krishna, IG of Police, and Venkateswar Rao, Advisor and Engineer in Chief, Irrigation (FAC) as members – conducted its investigation at the Government Circuit House for the second day on Friday.
Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad, Police Commissioner Shanka Bratha Bagchi, temple EO K. Subba Rao, temple EE Srinivasa Raju, APTDC DE Swamy EE K. Ramana Rao , contractor Lakshmana Rao, GVMC Additional Commissioner Ramana Murthy and the NDRF officials were present during the probe.
Later speaking to media persons, the committee chairman said that the preliminary investigation was completed and it has revealed violation of guidelines and the construction was taken up on oral instructions. The committee has collected samples from the accident spot, and the views of some devotees would also be taken. These works were supposed to have been completed in August 2024. He said that a report would be submitted to the government on the precautions to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Mr. Suresh Kumar said that based on the findings, so far, a report would be submitted to the government on Saturday (May 3) on the investigations done, so far.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Home Minister Amit Shah felicitates Chhattisgarh police officers
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (June 7, 2025) met police officers from Chhattisgarh who played a key role in recent anti-Maoist operations. Congratulating them on the success of these operations, he said that the Union Government is 'committed to freeing India from the menace of Maoism'. In a post on X, the Home Minister said, 'Met the officers who played a crucial role in the recent anti-Maoist operations and congratulated them on the historic success of these operations. I am eager to meet the brave jawans who made these operations successful with their courage and will soon visit Chhattisgarh to meet them. The Modi Government is committed to freeing India from the menace of Maoism.' The police officers were felicitated for recent operation carried out by the Chhattisgarh Police, including its District Reserve Guards (DRG) units from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Kondagaon, and Bijapur districts, in the interior areas of Abujhmad from May 18 to 21. On May 21, during an encounter in the forests of Boter village, 27 Maoists, including Communist Party of India (Maoist) general secretary and Polit Bureau member Basavaraju, alias Gaganna, were killed. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition too were recovered. The officers involved in the operation, including Chhattisgarh Director-General of Police Arun Dev Gautam; Additional DGP (Anti-Maoist Operations/SIB/STF) Vivekanand; Inspector-General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj; Superintendent of Police (Narayanpur) Prabhat Kumar; Superintendent of Police (Bijapur) Jitendra Yadav; and Superintendent of Police (Maoist-free Bastar District) Shalabh Singh, were felicitated by Mr. Shah. The event was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai; Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sharma; Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan; Director, Intelligence Bureau Tapan Kumar Deka; and several other senior officials.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Delhi: Amit Shah meets officers behind successful anti-Naxal ops in Chhattisgarh, congratulates them on historic success
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah met officers in Delhi who played a key role in recent anti-Naxal operations carried out in Chhattisgarh and congratulated them on their historic success. Shah said that the Modi government is committed to freeing India from the menace of Naxalism. In a post on X on Saturday, Union Home Minister said, 'Met the officers who played a crucial role in the recent anti-Naxal operations and congratulated them on the historic success of these operations. I am eager to meet the brave jawans who made these operations successful with their courage, and will soon visit Chhattisgarh to meet them. The Modi government is committed to freeing India from the menace of Naxalism.' It is noteworthy that, under the guidance of the Union Home Minister, security forces have been conducting anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh. As part of these efforts, the Chhattisgarh Police (including DRG units from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Kondagaon, and Bijapur districts) carried out an operation in the interior areas of Abujhmad from May 18 to May 21. On May 21, an encounter in the forests of Boter village resulted in the elimination of 27 Naxals, including CPI (Maoist) General Secretary and Polit Bureau member Basavaraju alias Gaganna, along with the recovery of a large quantity of arms and ammunition. The officers involved in this operation, including Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Arun Dev Gautam, Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations/SIB/STF) Vivekanand, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj, Superintendent of Police (Narayanpur) Prabhat Kumar, Superintendent of Police (Bijapur) Jitendra Yadav, and Superintendent of Police (Naxal-free Bastar District) Shalabh Singh, were honored by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The event was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sharma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, and several other senior officials. (ANI)
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Hans India
Woman Maoist operative on the run for 15 years arrested in Bihar
Patna: In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing anti-LWE operations, the Jamui Police in Bihar on Saturday arrested Sarita Soren a.k.a. Sita Soren, a female Maoist operative who had been absconding for the last 15 years. The arrest took place near Karma village, an official said. The development marks the second major success within three days for the district police as the force on Thursday nabbed another long-absconding Maoist operative involved in serious cases from as far back as 2005. Jamui Superintendent of Police Madan Kumar Anand confirmed the arrest and said that Sarita Soren had been on the police radar for years but consistently evaded capture. Acting on an Intelligence input, a joint team comprising Jamui Police, STF personnel, and officers from the technical cell launched a swift operation and surrounded her maternal home in Karma, successfully apprehending her. "Sarita Soren was involved in the 2010 Maoist attack in Chakai which claimed two lives. She also served as a key member of the female Maoist squad," SP Anand stated. Several cases, including charges under the Arms Act and murder, are registered against her. Her prolonged evasion and strategic role within the Maoist ranks made her one of the most wanted operatives in the region. The police consider her arrest a major blow to Maoist activities in the Jhajha-Chakai belt. Earlier on Thursday, Jamui Police arrested Naresh Ravidas a.k.a. Patal Ravidas, a notorious Maoist operative and former area commander, from Teliyadih village under the Jhajha police station area. On January 5, 2005, he was allegedly involved in the ambush and killed then Munger SP K.C. Surendra Babu and five other police personnel in the Bhimbandh forest area. The deadly attack near Peshra village sent shockwaves across Bihar and exposed critical gaps in the state's security preparedness at that time. In 2008, he was also accused of being involved in a Maoist attack at Belhar village that claimed five lives of innocent civilians in Banka district. The back-to-back arrests reflect increased pressure on Naxalite groups in Bihar and reinforce the state police's commitment to dismantling remaining insurgent networks.
