The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha government to make a compliance report on the status of the police investigation and pay compensation to the victims of a blast of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)-run filling station in the close vicinity of Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on 7 October 2020.
Acting on a petition by rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy the NHRC passed the order, the apex rights panel sought a report from the Chief Secretary with regard to the payment of compensation to the deceased and injured.
It also directed the Director-General of Police with regard to the outcome and status of the investigation of the filling station blast. At least two persons were killed and 4 were injured in the explosion.
While seeking the compliance report, the NHRC issued a stern warning saying that “If the authorities fail to submit the report within four weeks, the Commission would be constrained to issue a coercive process under section-13 Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
Alleging the blast as an act of negligence and failure of the officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Tripathy pointed out the lack of emergency preparedness in the capital city of Odisha.
Two died and four were injured in the blast as the storage safety issue had not been taken care of and “nothing was done” to take care of the highly combustible material.
The Government hospitals in Bhubaneswar were not well equipped with dealing with patients with burn injuries. Due to traffic jams from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack, the injured could not get proper and timely medical attention and there was a delay in ensuring treatment also, Tripathy contended.
Stating that the case attracts the utmost care concept and Public liability jurisprudence with a heavy amount of compensation and criminal action, the petitioner had sought the NHRC to direct the officials to come out with plans and procedures for shifting hazardous industries to least populated areas with the timely inspection.