Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended the Anekal tahsildar, Attibele police inspector, and chief fire officer, citing lapses on their part.
Published Oct 10, 2023 | 7:48 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 10, 2023 | 7:50 PM
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah bans crackers in political events, processions, marriages, and festivals. (Supplied)
In the wake of the tragic incident in Attibele, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, 10 October, announced a series of stringent measures to address lapses in the handling of explosive materials, leading to the suspension of key officers.
Notably, the government also banned the bursting of crackers during political events, processions, marriages, and religious occasions, like Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
The prohibition is apparently aimed at preventing further mishaps and ensuring the safety of citizens, aligning with recent directives from the Supreme Court regarding the production and sale of green crackers.
The chief minister emphasised the need for strict adherence to explosive regulations and underscored the importance of the annual renewal of licences.
These decisions were taken during the meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar after 15 employees — most of them students — were killed in a blaze at a firecracker godown on 7 October.
The Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments announced ₹5 lakh and ₹3 lakh ex gratia, respectively, for the kin of the deceased.
The police have also arrested three people in connection with the incident after a was registered at the Attibele Police Station.
Siddaramaiah told reporters on Tuesday, “The firecrackers shop owner Ramaswamy Reddy obtained a licence solely for sales — for storage and selling of only 1,000 kg — and not for a godown.”
He added: “However, he stored 7,000-8,000 kg, sourcing all cracker materials from Tamil Nadu. Even on the day of the incident, a truck arrived from the neighbouring state, and the mishap occurred during unloading.”
ಅತ್ತಿಬೆಲೆ ಪಟಾಕಿ ದುರಂತದ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @siddaramaiah ಅವರು ಇಂದು ಹಿರಿಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗೊಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ನಡೆಸಿದ ಸಭೆಯ ಮುಖ್ಯಾಂಶಗಳು:
ರಾಜ್ಯದಾದ್ಯಂತ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಲೈಸೆನ್ಸ್ದಾರರ ಸ್ಥಳ ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ನಡೆಸಿ, ಲೋಪಗಳಿದ್ದರೆ ನಿರ್ಧಾಕ್ಷಿಣ್ಯ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು.
ಅತ್ತಿಬೆಲೆ ಪ್ರಕರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ತಹಶೀಲ್ದಾರ್, ಇನ್ಸ್ ಪೆಕ್ಟರ್ ಮತ್ತು… pic.twitter.com/ko3ZQlsAyr— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) October 10, 2023
He continued: “Most employees were students from Tamil Nadu, hired for daily wage work during the vacation period, with a remuneration of ₹600 per day. All were from economically weaker sections of society. Consequently, there are lapses on the part of the Anekal tahsildar, Attibele police inspector, and chief fire officer. I have issued orders for the suspension of all three officers and directed notices to be served to the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police.”
Siddaramaiah also said: “Following a recent Supreme Court order regarding crackers, only green crackers are permitted for production and sale. I have instructed the initiation of actions against licence holders who fail to comply with the conditions outlined by the apex court.”
He added: “Those who obtained licences under the Explosive Act in the state but are not adhering to the rules will have them terminated immediately. I have also mandated the verification and inspection of all licenses. If they fail to meet the stipulated conditions, appropriate actions will be taken,” assured the Chief Minister.
He further said: “We have witnessed numerous injuries and fatalities during Deepavali celebrations. Strict measures must be taken when dealing with explosives. We have banned the bursting of firecrackers during political functions, processions, Ganesh Chaturthi, and marriages. Any violation of the ban will result in legal action.”
The chief minister added: “Instead of a five-year term, a fresh licence must be obtained annually.”
In the aftermath of the devastating fire in Attibele near the Anekal taluka on 7 October, a total of 15 lives were lost, with at least six other individuals sustaining injuries.
Amidst the chaos and grief, one of the survivors recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the calamity.
Lokeshwaran, an employee at the firecracker shop and one of the survivors, gave a two-page written statement to the police, shedding light on the events that unfolded.
He recalled: “I and my relatives from the Dharmapuri district’s Ammapettai village [in Tamil Nadu] had worked in the same firecracker shop last year. Naveen Reddy had called me a few days ago and asked to come to work at the shop.”
Detailing the circumstances leading up to the incident, Lokeshwaran revealed, “A week ago, 10 people had come to Balaji Traders for work. Twelve people from Vaniyambadi and five from Kallakurichi also came to the shop. We all stayed in the room opposite the firework shop. They used to be paid ₹600-700 as wage per day.”
He recalled: “On 7 October afternoon, we all had lunch and came back to the shop. We were unloading firecracker boxes from a container. A spark appeared in the firecracker boxes and started the fire.”
He continued: “The place where Naveen [one of his co-workers] was sitting caught fire first, and his hand was burnt. He immediately ran out. All the firecracker boxes near the door then caught fire. The crackers started going off.
He said: “I, along with labourer Bhimrao and some women, came out. My relatives and others were stranded inside. Not all of them could come out as heavy firecracker boxes were placed everywhere in the basement. Fire engulfed the entire warehouse in no time. The rescue personnel reached the spot and extricated four people. The rest were trapped inside and were burnt alive. The owner was negligent even though he knew there was a possibility of an explosion.”
He also said: “We were not given any training. There was no fire extinguisher. The godown also did not have an emergency exit door.”
In response to directives from the chief minister, the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Praveen Madhukar launched a comprehensive investigation into the fire mishap.
Under the supervision of the IGP, a CID team conducted a thorough examination of the incident site on Tuesday, meticulously inspecting the godown that had been reduced to ashes.
The CID investigators collaborated with Bengaluru Rural SP Mallikarjun Baldandi, the forensic team, and firefighters to gather detailed information crucial to the investigation.
The case has been officially transferred to the CID, and an FIR has been registered at the Attibele Police Station.
Taking swift action, cops arrested V Ramaswamy Reddy, the individual who secured the licence to store firecrackers at his commercial complex, along with his sons Naveen Reddy and Anil Reddy.
Meanwhile, the injured continue to battle for life at the private hospitals in Bengaluru. The state government is looking after their medical expenses.
