Shafat Malik
Bandipora, Nov 27 (KNS): Massive blaze, which engulfed BMO office in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday evening, has completely gutted sixty service books of employees even as committee has been constituted to inquire into the fire incident.
An official told Kashmir News Service (KNS) a four member committee has been constituted to inquiry into the incident to ascertain the cause of fire and committee has been directed to submit the report within two weeks.
Meanwhile, an order issued in this regards stated that a fire incident has happened at Old District Hospital building, presently housing the office of Block Medical Officer, Bandipora on November 25, at around 7 PM, wherein damages to the building and official records has been reported.
“In view of the above, and in order to ascertain the circumstances and causes leading to the fire incident and subsequent damages to the official records, an enquiry Committee comprising of four officers is hereby constituted,” it reads.
The committee will be headed by additional deputy commissioner Bandipora, while Executive Engineer, KPDCL Bandipora Division, assistant director Fire and Emergency services, Bandipora and Tehsildar Bandipora will be its members.
“The Committee shall conduct a thorough enquiry and submit its findings, including the inventory of official records damaged, to office deputy commissioner Bandipora within a period of 02 weeks,” it reads.
The order also stated that Block Medical Officer Bandipora shall extend cooperation to the enquiry committee.
Meanwhile, an employee of the BMO office said that after confirming it has come to their knowledge that at least sixty service books have been completely damaged in the fire incident.
"We appeal to the director that he should come here and constitute a team to investigate the cause of this fire. The service books contained a record of all the employees so we want justice and we appeal to the authorities to investigate the incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, BMO Bandipora, Dr Masrat said that in the first building of the office all the COVID related records were safe. “No damage has been caused to this building and to the records. The records in the NHM building are also safe with minor damage to the building,” he said.
“However, in our main office, there was a massive fire in which some service books were damged. We are ascertaining the damage and have constituted a committee for investigation and also an FIR has been lodged,” BMO said.
He said that after investigation actual damage can be assessed but approximately 50-60 service books have been damaged and rest all official records including Covid record is safe. (KNS)