A full month has passed since the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Panaji, which claimed 25 lives, but the Goa government's response remains mired in delays and limited action. Public anger is growing as authorities have failed to take concrete steps against those responsible for granting permissions to the establishment, raising serious questions about accountability and administrative complicity.
Limited Action Amidst Public Outcry
The government's reaction so far has been restricted to actions against a few lower-rung officials. While a magisterial inquiry report into the December 8 tragedy was submitted on December 24, its findings have not been made public. Show-cause notices were issued to employees responsible for granting permissions, but no significant punitive action has followed against higher authorities involved.
This pattern of inaction is not isolated. A similar situation unfolded after the stampede at the Shree Devi Lairai Jatra seven months ago. Despite receiving a fact-finding committee report that held North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal and North Goa collector Sneha Gitte responsible, the government's only move was to transfer the officers. The report, submitted by a committee headed by revenue secretary Sandeep Jacques to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, contained observations and recommendations that have largely been ignored.
A "System of Complicity" and Short Public Memory
Critics argue that the government's approach is designed to weather the storm until public attention fades. Advocate Cleofato Almeida Coutinho minced no words, stating that "gross illegalities are not possible without govt being complicit." He criticized the targeting of panchayat officials as a tactic to "throw dust in our eyes" and accused the ruling party of banking on time to solve matters and taking advantage of the public's short memory.
"The very fact that clubs sealed for safety violations were permitted to open for New Year shows nobody is serious. In fact, the tragedy is now an opportunity to extract from small businesses," Coutinho added, highlighting a perceived systemic failure.
Echoing the call for justice, former judge Francisco Tavora demanded that recommendations from inquiry reports be taken to their logical conclusion. "They should be made to suffer the full complement of the consequences as prescribed by law," he asserted, urging prosecution of the responsible parties.
The Tragedy and Its Immediate Fallout
The fire, which broke out with around 150 tourists inside the nightclub, resulted in profound loss. Four of the deceased belonged to the same family, and three were women, painting a heartbreaking picture of the incident's human cost.
In the immediate aftermath, the government suspended officials Siddhi Halarnkar, Shamila Monteiro, and Reghuvir Bagkar. Bagkar was later terminated, and sarpanch Roshan Redkar was disqualified. The Goa State Pollution Control Board also suspended Chaitanya Salgaonkar and Vijay Harichandra Kansekar for failing to conduct proper inspections.
On the legal front, Goa police arrested eight people, including Saurabh Luthra, Gaurav Luthra, and Ajay Gupta. A court has since granted bail to three of the accused. However, with the magisterial report under wraps and no action against the permission-granting authorities, the victims' families and the public are left waiting for true accountability, one month after the horrific event that shook the state.
