Date:21/01/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/21/stories/2003012104281100.htm

National

Criminal case filed against ropeway company

By Manas Dasgupta

Passengers trapped in a cable car on Sunday at Pavagadh in Gujarat being rescued. — PTI

GANDHINAGAR Jan. 20. The State Government has filed a criminal case of negligence against the company operating the ropeway system in Pavagadh hills, in the Panchamahals district of central Gujarat, even as the death toll in yesterday's tragedy rose to seven.

The Minister for Pilgrim Centres, Ashok Bhatt, who was despatched yesterday to Pavagadh by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, to supervise rescue operations, said the condition of a couple of the injured at the S.S.G. Hospital, Vadodara, continued to be critical.

The Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, said the Government had asked the ropeway company, Kolkata-based Usha Breco Limited, to suspend its operations on the Gabbar hills, in the temple town of Ambaji in north Gujarat, too.

The State Government, which maintained that the accident might have been caused by a ``technical fault'' due to poor maintenance, refused to accept the company's ``possible sabotage'' theory and asked it to substantiate its claim.

A senior official of the company which operates the ropeway system at Pavagadh on build, operate and transfer basis, told mediapersons earlier that the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out. He also claimed that the cable had not snapped, but was found loosened from one of its pulleys.

Another senior officer claimed that the company adhered to stringent safety and maintenance schedules. Describing the incident as ``unfortunate and unusual,'' he said the company had received ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 quality certification for excellent maintenance of its ropeway system at Agra.

The company announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakhs to those killed, Rs 30,000 each to those who suffered fractures and Rs. 10,000 each to those with minor injuries. The State Government has already announced compensation of Rs. 50,000 each to the next of kin of the deceased, A State Government spokesman said a criminal case under section 304(A) of the Cr.P.C. had been filed, on a complaint lodged by one of the injured and whose brother was among the deceased, for ``rash and negligent action causing death and injuries to people.''

Besides despatching experts from the L. D. Engineering College, Ahmedabad, for an on-the-spot study of the circumstances leading to the tragedy, the Government has also sent officials under the chief electrical inspector, responsible for awarding the ropeway contracts, to Pavagadh for a detailed study.