Panel with IAS, IPS officers to submit probe report in 1 wk

Panaji: State govt on Monday appointed North Goa district collector Ankit Yadav to head the magisterial inquiry to examine the sequence of events that led to the death of 25 people in the fire at Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora on Saturday night.The committee headed by Yadav — a 2018 batch IAS officer — also comprises IPS officer and South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma, director of forensic sciences Ashutosh Apte, and deputy director, directorate of fire and emergency services, Rajendra Haldankar.As per the terms of reference, the committee will examine the sequence of events leading to the incident, verify the compliance of all statutory licences, determine lapses, fix accountability on agencies/departments responsible, and recommend preventive and corrective measures. It will have the authority to call for records and documents. “The committee has powers to summon individuals concerned. It shall submit the report within one week,” the home department said.The committee visited the spot at Arpora on Monday evening.