Pb CM asks home secy to prepare guidelines for holding religious gatherings

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday directed Home Secretary N S Kalsi to prepare detailed guidelines for holding religious and social congregations in the state in order to prevent any tragedy.

The directives were issued a day after at least 59 people were killed after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here.

The guidelines should clearly define the rules and regulations for holding such events/gatherings in any part of the state on any occasion, as per the directives issued by the chief minister, an official statement said here.

Singh has also asked the home secretary to issue an immediate advisory for sale and storage of crackers during Diwali to ensure strict adherence to the safety rules and guidelines for the same.

Taking serious note of the Amritsar train tragedy, the chief minister made it clear that no laxity would be tolerated in these matters.

While the culpability in Friday's tragic incident would be fixed, it was imperative to ensure that such an incident was not repeated, he said.