The Justice V.K. Mohanan Commission of Inquiry that is probing the Tanur boat tragedy that occurred on May 7, 2023 is set to hold the first open sitting into what led to the accident involving an overloaded tourist boat, with a sitting scheduled at the PWD rest house at Tirur on March 27, 2024.
The driver and other crew of the ill-fated vessel that was reportedly operating in violation of norms at night and capsized resulting in the death of 22 people, including 15 children and five women, are among those summoned to be present at the open sitting.
Officials of agencies that ought to have enforced safety norms too will have to present themselves before the commission, Justice Mohanan told mediapersons at Ernakulam Press Club on March 22.
He said that only a handful of affected people and others filed their statements at the commission’s first sitting that was held shortly after it was constituted on May 12, 2023. The response was similar even after the commission subsequently reached out to 77 others. It is in this context that it was decided not to delay the open sitting in the case any further.
The sitting will revolve around “six terms of reference.” The foremost among these include what led to the boat’s capsizing and fixing the accountability on stakeholders concerned.
The other terms of reference include collection of suggestions on plugging loopholes in licensing and enforcement measures, steps to be taken to prevent frequent recurrence of ferry and boat accidents in Kerala, action taken by different departments in the wake of reports submitted by similar probe commissions and a probe into allied aspects related to ensuring safe water transport.
Inadequate personnel
Justice Mohanan hinted at reports of inadequate personnel in enforcement agencies (such as the Ports department and the Kerala Maritime Board) as among the reasons for boat operators flouting safety norms. The probe will also cover allegations of undue influence in issuance of licence to the boat.
The commission’s other members – Suresh Kumar, who retired as chief engineer from Kerala Waterways and Infrastructure Ltd (KWIL), and K.P. Narayanan, who retired as professor from the Ship Technology Department of Cusat – too were present. They cited the urgent need to amend the Kerala Inland Vessel Rules, 2010 based on the Centre’s Inland Vessels’ Act, 2021, to ensure safer boat operations in Kerala.
