Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 16: Relating to the incident in which pesticides and manure were dumped into a well in Kadri Park by the officials of the department of horticulture a few days ago, P Shivashankar, chief executive officer of Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat, has formed a team of three officials to conduct an inquiry into the entire episode. It may be recalled, that the driver of the vehicle in which the things offloaded into the well were taken to the venue, had committed suicide, after a public outcry relating to the incident was witnessed.

Zilla panchayat chief accounts officer, B Timmappa, joint director of the department of agriculture, Padmaya Nayak, and assistant director of agriculture of Mangalore taluk, have been named as the members of the inquiry team. The investigations are set to begin by the end of this week. The team has been asked to submit its findings by the 25th of this month. Shivashankar told the press that a clear picture of what had transpired will emerge only after the team concludes its work, and that decision on action to be taken against the concerned officials will be chalked out, depending on the findings of the team.

Sources said that in the meanwhile, a high level official from Bangalore has arrived here to hold department inquiry into the episode.

President of Nagarika Hitarakshagana Samiti, Hanumant Kamat, observed that all the things dumped into the well have not been taken out even after a week since the incident occurred, and that the pesticides have either been floating in water or melted in water because of incessant rains. He alleged that the inquiry is being delayed with the specific objective of protecting the guilty. “The officials of the department claim they do not have any record relating to the incident. The team need not have waited for a week to commence its work. It seems that the guilty will not be punished even after the investigation,” he commented.