Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday slammed the Maharashtra government over the delay in submitting a report on the cause of 14 deaths after the Maharashtra Bhushan award function at Kharghar near Mumbai in April.

The state government should keep in mind that the delay in submitting the report won’t make people forget that 14 innocent lives were lost due to “insensitivity”, NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said in a statement.

Crasto said the state had formed a one-man committee of Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Nitin Kareer to probe the cause of the deaths that occurred after the Maharashtra Bhushan function on April 16, but the committee has now sought another month to submit its report.

Kareer was appointed 4 days after the incident and was supposed to submit the report in a month.

Those who died were among lakhs of people who had attended the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony held in an open ground in Kharghar where social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari was conferred with the honour by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were also present on the occasion.

“It has been almost 2 months now, but the report has not been submitted yet. An extension of 1 more month has been sought by this committee. What is the need for an extension,” Crasto asked.

The NCP leader said many questions have arisen after this tragedy.

“Firstly, how can an incumbent bureaucrat probe an issue that occurred during a government function,” Crasto said.

The episode also raises a doubt, he said.

“Is the BJP-led Maharashtra government trying to bide time so that people forget about this tragedy that was caused because this government function was held in an open ground during peak summer season thus causing deaths due to heatstroke,” he asked.

Maharashtra government must complete the probe without further delay and fix accountability, Crasto said.

“They should keep in mind that the delay of the report will not make people forget that 14 innocent lives were lost due to insensitivity shown by those who organised this event,” he added.

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