RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy has said the situation at Katchulru in Devipatnam mandal seems to be not conducive, making it extremely difficult to retrieve the capsized boat.
“However, efforts will continue to trace the missing people and retrieve the boat at the earliest,” he said after a meeting with NDMA and the state officials a Rajamahendravaram on Sunday.
Kishan Reddy, who took stock of the situation, promised to extend all the possible technical support from the Centre to deal with the situation.
Stressing the need for preventing such mishaps in future, he said shortly a policy will be formulated with stringent measures for controlling boats in coordination with the state government.
“If needed, the existing laws should be amended to make them more stringent to prevent such mishaps in future,” the Union Minister said
He said be it government or privately operated boats, the rules have to be followed and those who violate rules should be punished irrespective of their status or stature. Boats of those who are not operating with a valid licence or not providing life jackets should be cancelled, he opined.
Kishan Reddy suggested that control and regulation of the boats should be entrusted to a single department instead of multiple departments.