Kolkata: The West Bengal government has ordered a three-month inquiry into the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata’s Chorbagan area that killed 19 people on October 17, setting up a special team headed by retired judge Anindita Roy Saraswati.
The panel, constituted in consultation with the Calcutta High Court, will examine how the incident occurred and suggest measures to prevent similar tragedies at crowded public gatherings. Its findings are to be submitted to the state government within three months.
The committee will draw members from the state administration, police and disaster response agencies, including officials from the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, the Home and Hill Affairs Department and the National Disaster Response Force. A senior police representative, not below the rank of Additional Director General, will also be part of the inquiry.
The incident has prompted fresh scrutiny of crowd management and emergency preparedness at festive venues. The Kolkata Fire Department has directed organisers at four South Kolkata puja sites, Chetla, Tridhara, Deshapriya Park and Tollygunge Cultural, to review access and evacuation routes and strengthen fire safety arrangements.
The state government has announced Rs 25 lakh in compensation and a government job for a family member of each victim. The Special Task Force has separately begun investigating the incident to establish responsibility.
Senior state officials, including the chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police and Kolkata police commissioner, are monitoring the response as authorities tighten safety checks at pandals.
