'Lack of coordination between depts led to Sabarimala'
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Kerala high court on Thursday observed that there was lack of coordination between various departments which led to the Pullmedu tragedy in which 102 lives were lost.
The oral observation was made by a division bench comprising justice Thothathil B. Radhakrishnan and justice P.S. Gopinathan after three separate reports filed by Kerala DGP Jacob Punnose, TDB Commissioner, N. Vasu and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest T.M. Manoharan came up before the bench.
The bench wanted to know why Pullmedu was out of the zone of consideration for providing adequate security to the pilgrims.
The court also directed the Union Government to inform its views regarding permitting pilgrims through Pulmedu in vandiperiyar in Iddukki district which is part of the notified wild life sanctuary - Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The bench directed the Assistant Solicitor General, T.P. Ibrahim Khan, to file counter affidavit on this and the probable possiblities of permitting temporary use of required land in connection with 'Makara Vilakku' festival in the sancturary.
Advocate General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad informed the court that the report of the Home secretary would be filed by tomorrow as the Cabinet was meeting on Thursday to consider the report.
Earlier, prior to the filing of the report, unrestricted vehicle entry was being blamed for the tragedy.
The Kerala Forest Department was of the view that vehicles ferrying pilgrims into the Pullumedu trekking path was one of the factors that paved the way for the January 14 stampede.
The report drawn up by the Forest Department on the tragedy cited that its earlier warnings to regulate vehicles like jeeps and autorickshaws had been largely ignored by the Travancore Devaswom Board and other agencies, Department sources had said.
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