TNR Expose: No legal permission to operate cruise vessel, shikara in Bilaspur’s Gobind Sagar Lake
MANDI/BILASPUR: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on October 29, 2024, inaugurated water sports and recreational activities at the Gobind Sagar Lake in Bilaspur, marking a significant milestone in the state’s tourism efforts. However, the event, which was meant to showcase the state’s potential for water-based recreation, has come under scrutiny due to serious concerns over the safety and legality of the vessel used during the inauguration ceremony.
The cruise, brought from Kochi for the event, has not yet been registered with the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department Corporation (HPTDC) and lacks the necessary insurance coverage, it is learnt. Despite this, Chief Minister Sukhu, along with other prominent dignitaries, including Himachal Pradesh Technical Education Minister and Ghumarwin MLA Rajesh Dharmani and HPTDC Chairman RS Bali, boarded the cruise vessel and participated in the water sports activities.
Safety guidelines ignored before inauguration
The unregistered vessel, operating without appropriate certification, not only posed a safety risk to the Chief Minister and other officials but also highlighted a “grave oversight” by the local authorities. The company operating the cruise, which is owned by Ajay Handa, has not obtained the necessary permissions to run such activities.
District Tourism Officer Manoj Kumar said the company had registered only for speedboats and other small watercraft, with no authorisation to operate a cruise vessel or a shikara.
“The registration process for the vessel in question is incomplete and no permission has been granted to operate the vessel in the Gobind Sagar Lake. If the cruise continues to operate without proper registration, strict legal action will be initiated against the company,” said Kumar.
The lapse in regulatory compliance and breach of safety protocol put the lives of Chief Minister Sukhu and other passengers at risk, an official said, adding it was strange that the inauguration event proceeded without intervention from the authorities concerned.
No response to Newz Radar queries from DC, Chief Secretary
Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain too was present at the inauguration and even participated in the cruise ride, raising questions about the “oversight” and whether the official was aware of the unregistered status of the vessel.
The Newz Radar had sought to know from the Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner and Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena about the legality and registration of the cruise vessel and shikara rides in Gobind Sagar Lake, but no response has been received yet despite the queries being emailed a week ago on November 14, 2024.
Former minister calls for CBI investigation
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition leaders demanding accountability. Former Himachal Pradesh minister Rajinder Garg has called for a CBI investigation into the matter, citing serious allegations of financial misconduct related to the cruise’s operations.
Additionally, allegations of irregularities in the allocation of funds for the event have surfaced, with Gaurav Garg, a businessman associated with water sports, accusing a district official and a minister of involvement in the scandal. He recently held a press conference in Shimla and narrated the entire sequence of events.
