District admn lax on violence probe

LUDHIANA: While incidents of violence late last year resulted in huge loss in the city, district administration seems lax in conducting a probe in this regard as even after more than a month has elapsed since state government had ordered conducting of a magisterial inquiry, the matter is hanging fire.
For two days, the city suffered due to violence, first due to violent protest by migrants and then due to the anti-Dera protest in which a Sikh protester was killed in police firing.State government had then ordered a magisterial probe into the matter and had ordered district administration to impose a curfew in the city. But administrative action in the matter is still awaited as till now, no officer has been asked to conduct an inquiry in this regard.
To worsen matters, many other inquiry committees constituted for vested interests, that could further aggravate the situation, are already blaming administration for its failure to tackle the situation.
Sources further said the administration is waiting for state government’s nod and is expecting that some senior officer from Chandigarh to conduct the probe despite a battery of officials including additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) and sub-divisional magistrates (SDM) already being at the helm of affairs in district administration. On being contacted, the deputy commissioner (DC) Vikas Garg said in adherence with state government orders, they had ordered a magisterial probe and an ADC had already started an inquiry in this connection.
The two ADCs were reluctant to speak on the matter. While ADC (general) Kuldeep Singh refused to comment, asserting that the DC could give a statement on it, ADC (development) Davinder Singh said he was not conducting the inquiry.