Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Probe ordered into penstock pipe burst

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday ordered an inquiry by an expert committee into the bursting of a penstock pipe at the Panniar Hydroelectric Project in Idukki district on Monday.

Briefing reporters on the Cabinet decisions, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said Rajiv Sadanandan, IAS officer, would conduct the inquiry.

The Chief Minister announced that the families of the employees of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) who were killed or reported missing in the accident would be paid Rs. 5 lakh each as solatium. The Government and the Board would contribute Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh respectively.

Urgent steps would be taken to provide relief and compensation to those who had lost their houses and crops.

The superintending engineer of the Public Works Department had been asked to rebuild houses destroyed by the rushing waters.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy in Thiruvananthapuram would be revived.

A chief flight instructor and four ground instructors would be appointed for training of pilots, he said. Besides, a ground school would be established as part of the Academy.

The Cabinet, he said, had ratified the appointment of Additional Chief Secretary P.J. Thomas as the Chief Secretary. Sarada Muraleedharan will be posted as Principal Secretary in charge of Higher Education, the portfolio held by Mr. Thomas. Ajaya Kumar will be appointed as Managing Director of Matsyafed.

The rent on the land leased to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute by the Government will be reduced to Rs. 100 an acre with effect from 1999. Asked about the refusal of the Government to order an inquiry into the Merchiston estate deal, the Chief Minister said inquiries would be conducted against those who should be subjected to an inquiry.

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