BHUBANESWAR: The Forest, Environment and Climate Change department has initiated disciplinary proceedings against assistant conservator of forests (ACF) of Puri for negligence in duty during his assignment in the district control room during Rath Yatra in Puri, where three persons, including two women, were killed and several others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha temple on June 29.
In a memorandum issued on Tuesday, additional chief secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change department said it has been proposed to initiate departmental proceedings for misconduct against Ashok Behera posted as ACF in Puri. Behera has been asked to submit his representation within 30 days.
The action comes in wake of the report submitted by development commissioner Anu Garg who was entrusted the administrative inquiry into the stampede.
Behera and other officials from police department were assigned duties in the district control room functioning near Gundicha Temple from June 27 to July 5. Their duties included coordination with police and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) officials, supervise crowd management to ensure hasslefree darshan of devotees and maintain law and order during the festival.
In a letter sent to the additional chief secretary of Forest department last month, the Home department said the officials deployed in the control room were not even aware of the stampede and came to know about it only when their duty ended and they reached home at about 6 am on June 29.
So far, the Home department has asked the departments concerned to initiate disciplinary proceedings against five officials, including three executive magistrates, ACF Behera and Puri district social security officer.
In 2022, Behera, posted as range officer, was placed under suspension following recovery of a jumbo carcass under Narasinghpur range.