PNS|Visakhapatnam
The State government has suspended seven officials and blacklisted a contractor following the tragic accident at the Simhachalam temple, which claimed seven lives. A high-level committee, including senior IAS, IPS, and engineering officers, blamed serious negligence by the contractor and government staff.
The suspended officials include K. Subbarao and K. Babji from the Simhachalam temple, and engineers from the Endowments and Tourism Departments, including APTDC staff. Criminal action has been recommended against the contractor and one government official. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu received the committee’s report at the Secretariat on Monday evening. The government stressed its zero-tolerance approach towards failures in public safety, especially in temples visited by large crowds.
Officials also said further investigation will be carried out to find any more lapses and improve supervision of temple infrastructure projects across the State. The tragedy has highlighted the urgent need for strict safety measures at religious sites.
