In view of the boat mishap at Malappuram in Kerala claiming 22 lives, the state government has decided to form special squads to ensure the safety parameters of all passenger boats.
A high-level meeting convened by ports minister Ahammad Devarkovil on Wednesday also decided to form local-level vigilant committees with representatives of local bodies to monitor boat operations. All boats will have to properly display registration details and carrying capacity.
Meanwhile, a local youth who had earlier posted videos of the blatant violation of safety norms by the boat that met with the mishap alleged that though he had earlier taken up the matter with two ministers, they ignored it. The youth, identified as Mhajid, told a section of the media that when two ministers came to the locality to inaugurate a project he mentioned about the safety risks of the boat. But they had ignored it.
The opposition Congress earlier alleged that the boat owner Nazar has a nexus with some CPM leaders.
Meanwhile, the driver of the boat was held by the police on Wednesday. The driver, identified as Dinesh, was absconding after the mishap on Sunday evening.
The government appointed retired high court judge V K Mohanan to chair the judicial commission that is set to probe the incident. Former chief engineer of Inland Waterways Authority of India, Neelakandan Unni, and Kerala Waterways and Infrastructure Limited chief engineer Suresh Kumar will be technical members.
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