Inquiry into bridge collapse to take another six months

Three years after a bridge over Damanganga river in Daman and Diu collapsed claiming 30 lives, the vicitms' kin are still complaining about "injustice" meted out to them as the judicial commission appointed to probe the matter is still battling to complete its job.

A judicial inquiry commission under the chairmanship of retired judge Justice Rajendra Kocher was constituted on August 1, 2004, almost a year after the tragedy claimed the lives of 28 school students and two others on August 28, 2003.

The commission was constituted with a view to giving justice to the families who lost their children in the tragedy but from time to time its deadline is being extended, Deepesh Tandel, president of the committee formed to fight for rights of the vicitms' kin, said.

A senior official of the Daman and Diu administration said it would take another four to six months for preparing the final report of the commission.

During the last 24 months, the commission has recorded the statements of all the 64 witnesses, which included 35 kins of victims, 22 PWD employees and seven technical experts associated with the construction of the bridge, said Law Secretary Prashant Kulkarni.

Kulkarni said the commission is expected to take another four to six months to complete the final report. Initially, the commission was constituted for a period of six months, but it was extended from time to time.

The Commission has cost the exchequer over Rs one crore. Kulkarni said that a bill of Rs 40 lakh was cleared by the Law Department while Rs 80 lakh was passed by Public Works Department in this regard.

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