State School Sports Meet Accident: Minister blames officials, says serious lapses in pavilion construction

Thrissur: Sports Minister OJ Janeesh, visited the Thrissur Aquatic Complex, where the temporary pavilion collapsed during the State School Sports Meet, and said there were serious lapses in its construction and preparations. Speaking to the media during the visit, the minister said the shortcomings in the construction of the pavilion could not be concealed and that officials were responsible for the lapses.

The Sports Department has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The minister said Sports Department Special Secretary N Prasanth was directed to conduct the inquiry the day after the accident. The investigation will examine the lapses in the incident as well as the safety arrangements and procedures that need to be followed while conducting sports meets in the future.

The minister acknowledged that the pavilion was temporary and that the area had experienced heavy rain and strong winds. However, he said a pavilion should not have been constructed in a manner that could result in its collapse under such weather conditions.

“There were serious shortcomings at the official level in the preparations for constructing the pavilion,” the minister said.

He added that the lapses were not limited to the pavilion and that there were shortcomings in the overall organisation of the sports meet in Thrissur. Only a few events, including swimming, football and boxing, were held in Thrissur, while the major events are being conducted in Kozhikode.

In Kozhikode, a large organising committee was formed to oversee the conduct of the events, the minister said. However, the inquiry found that the organising committee meeting in Thrissur was conducted mainly at the officials’ level.

Normally, broader organising committees are formed at venues hosting major events, while smaller-scale arrangements are made at venues hosting limited events, he said.

The minister also alleged that officials had failed to involve elected representatives in the organising activities in Thrissur. Organisers had contacted his office regarding the arrangements of grounds and other facilities for the events, but officials failed to properly inform the district administration, he said.

The government will take action if lapses are found in the conduct of the sports meet, the minister said. He added that both the Sports Department and the General Education Department share responsibility for conducting the event.

The report of the Sports Department's inquiry will also be forwarded to the General Education Department for further action, he said. The minister said he had spoken to the General Education Minister over the phone on the day of the accident itself. An inquiry has also been ordered by the Education Department.

The minister said it could not be concealed that there had been lapses in safety procedures related to the pavilion, including obtaining a fitness certificate from the Public Works Department.

The District Collector had conducted a preliminary inquiry on the day of the incident itself. Responding to a question on why the police had not registered a case, the minister said police action would follow based on the Collector's report.