Rajasthan govt forms five-member committee to probe Jaisalmer bus tragedy

Jaipur, Oct 16 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has formed a five-member committee to probe into the Jaisalmer bus fire, which claimed 22 lives and left several others injured.

O.P. Bunkar, Additional Transport Commissioner (Administration) and Joint Secretary, Transport and Road Safety Department, informed that in the aftermath of the tragic Jaisalmer bus accident, the department has initiated a detailed and sensitive investigation into the matter.

He stated that a team from the Regional Transport Office, Jodhpur, is presently inspecting buses manufactured at Jainam Coach Crafter, Jodhpur. So far, 66 buses have been seized and are being examined to verify compliance with the prescribed Bus Body Code standards during their construction.

To ensure a thorough inquiry, the State Government's Transport and Road Safety Department has constituted a five-member high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Additional Transport Commissioner (Administration) and Joint Secretary.

The committee comprises Omprakash Bunkar, Additional Transport Commissioner (Administration) and Joint Secretary to the Government (Chairman), Dharmendra Kumar, Regional Transport Officer-II, Ravi Soni, Executive Director (Mechanical), Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, Hanuman Singh, Joint General Manager, Central Workshop, Jodhpur and Navneet Batad Motors Vehicle Inspector, Headquarters. Bunkar stated that the committee will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the transport, departmental, and technical aspects of the Jaisalmer bus accident.

The committee will carry forward the inquiry. To ensure an independent and expert technical review, the State Government has also invited the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune, to investigate the incident.

The CIRT team is expected to visit Jaisalmer later this week and will subsequently submit its detailed report to the State Government.

The Transport Department has appealed to all bus transport unions to extend full cooperation with the inspection campaign and to ensure that buses are operated only after implementing all necessary safety improvements in accordance with prescribed standards.

--IANS

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