Kendrapara: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report from the Chief Secretary on the action taken by the state government to ensure the safe ferrying of boats. The NHRC also asked the Chief Secretary to direct all the District Collectors of Odisha to check the fitness of all registered ferry boats in their respective jurisdictions and submit a list of the number of ferry boats found operating unlawfully.
The apex rights body recently directed the Chief Secretary to send a detailed action taken report (ATR) against the delinquent officials responsible for the failure to supervise and ban the operationalisation of disputed unlawful and unfit ferry boats in Jharsuguda district. If no such action has been initiated yet, the reasons for not taking lawful action should be provided. Adjudging a petition filed by rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC has called for an ATR within six weeks. The petition contended that the fatal incident of the capsizing of a boat carrying about 50 passengers in the Mahanadi river in Jharsuguda district, April 19, resulted in the deaths of about seven people. It has been reported that the boat was ferrying passengers from the Bandhipali area of Bargarh district when it encountered turbulent waters and capsized near Saradha Ghat in Jharsuguda district. Further reports indicate that the boat was overcrowded, operated without a valid license, and lacked a fitness certificate issued by the concerned authorities, resulting in the deaths of two minor boys and two women from the Kharsani area of Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh. They were traveling to Patharseni in the Ambabhona block of Bargarh district. Stating that the earlier recommendations of the NHRC in a case filed by him had not been complied with, Tripathy requested the NHRC to ensure a free, fair, and impartial investigation of this fatal incident and to take action against the errant officials. He also requested the NHRC to direct the governments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh to submit reports on this incident with recommendations on the implementation status of laws, rules, norms, and parameters in this regard, the payment of adequate compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, and the construction of bridges where there are no alternative transportation facilities.
The NHRC noted that it is not out of place to mention that the commission regularly receives complaints pertaining to boat accidents across Odisha. In one such previous case in 2019, the commission, July 14, 2022, observed, “There was a need to conduct a detailed study focusing on the causes of boat capsizing accidents and precautions to be carried out by boat owners and drivers.” The complainant submitted a reminder and brought to the commission’s attention the latest boat tragedy in Chilka lake. It was submitted that 79 people died in boat tragedies in Odisha last year, the highest in the country.
Furthermore, the commission has not received the requisite report in compliance with its direction. The petitioner stated that a direction should be issued again to the Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha, to submit an action taken report in light of the commission’s observations. As far as setting the criminal justice system into motion, it has been done by filing the FIR. Regarding compensation to the NOK of the deceased eight victims, the state government of Chhattisgarh has paid Rs 4 lakhs each to its deceased residents, the NHRC observed.
However, what astonished the commission was the non-responsiveness of the Government of Odisha through the Chief Secretary, who has failed to submit any report on record in this case despite explicit directions. It is evident through the report of the SP, Jharsuguda, that the disputed mechanized boat with a seating capacity of 20 was operating in state waters in broad daylight with 60 persons on board (three times its permissible limit), openly violating the rules and laws.