The Northern Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), who was scheduled to submit his report on the Hirakud boat tragedy to the State Government on April 19, is unlikely to stick to the deadline due to the delay in the recording of the statements of the concerned officials, sources said.
However, the report would be submitted by April-end, said RDC Dr Pramod Meherda. It may be mentioned that the State Home Department, in a letter to the RDC on February 19, had asked him to submit a report by April 19 on the cause of the mishap, people responsible and measures to ensure no such recurrence in future.
Acting on the letter, the RDC, during the investigation, had recorded the statements of 50 persons including Sambalpur Collector Balwant Singh and SP Pratik Mohanty. While the Dhanakauda BDO did not turn up to record his statement owning to health reasons, former sub collector Surendra Panda (presently posted as sub collector of Jeypore) failed to turn up as he was busy in official work. Again on April 16, they failed to turn up as they were busy in the election work.
However, with the election in the State now over, the two officials are scheduled to record their statements on April 23, after which the report would be submitted to the Government by the month-end, the RDC informed.
It may be mentioned that 31 passengers had drowned in the Hirakud reservoir while a motorboat in which they were ferrying, capsized on February 9.