In a delayed act, the Home Department on Monday presented the action-taken reports (ATRs) on the recommendations of two commissions of inquiry, one on the stampede that occurred at the Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri on November 4, 2006 and another on the police firing that took place on March 31, 2012 at Phasipada village in Ganjam district.
While four persons were killed and many others injured in the stampede in the Shreemandir, two persons were killed and several others injured in the police firing at Phasipada village.
The Government had constituted Justice Pradyumna Kumar Mohanty Commission of Inquiry on November 22, 2006. Similarly, it had constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by the then Additional District Judge-cum-Special Vigilance Judge in the firing incident on April 30, 2012.
While the Justice Mohany Commission submitted its report on September 9, 2014, the second commission gave its report to the Government on May 30, 2015.
"Though these reports were to be tabled in the State Assembly within six months of submission, they were delayed due to delay in processing, examining, taking action and printing of the report," separate notes signed by Chief Minister clarified.
In the stampede case, though the Government had directed the DGP to initiate disciplinary action against the then Shree Jagannath Temple Security Deputy SP Chakradhar Mohapatra, yet no such action was taken against him as he had already retired from job on May 31, 2007. However, disciplinary actions had been taken against two Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) staffs. Besides, many precaution steps like deployment of more police personnel, streamlined rituals, restrict the number of devotees for 'Paramanik Darshan' during Mangal Alati, provision of identity cards for Sevayats and SJTA staffs, installation of CCTVs and deployment of plain clothes police personnel have been made on the recommendation of the Commission.
Regarding the ATR on the firing incident, the report stated that all the district Collectors have been asked to direct the voluntary and non-Government organisations for creating awareness in scuh areas where practice of witchcraft and black magic is reported. Besides, the DG and IG of Polilce have been intimated to issue suitable instructions to the field functionaries to strictly follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) while circumstances demand firing of bullets/rubber bullets, to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.