Judicial commission on Puttingal temple tragedy yet to start work

Kochi: A judicial commission appointed for probing the firework tragedy at Puttingal Devi Temple in Kollam on April 10, which left over 100 people dead, could not start its work due to the alleged "negligence" by the Kerala government.

Advocate D B Binu said a reply to an RTI query revealed that even the Terms of Reference for the commission, headed by retired High Court judge Justice N Krishnan Nair, has not been decided by the government even after completion of four months of his appointment.

The commission was appointed 10 days after one of the worst tragedies in the state in which over 100 people were killed and 383 injured following a devastating fire that engulfed the 100-year-old Puttingal Devi Temple complex during an unauthorised display of fireworks.

While constituting the commission on April 21, the government had said the commission shall complete the inquiry and submit the report within six months from the date of publication of its notification, Binu said.

He said the reply to his RTI query was given by the state Home Department.