Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district minister UT Khader said the state govt will issue an order for an investigation into the blast inside MRPL that claimed one life.Speaking to reporters late Wednesday evening, Khader said the state has high-level officials from the industries department to conduct an inquiry.“This is a central govt-owned institution and a public sector entity. The central govt will naturally conduct its own inquiry, as they have an established system. However, from our state govt’s side, the chief minister will issue orders. He has already directed that an inquiry be conducted through high-level officials, and the formal order will be issued,” Khader said.The main concern, Khader said, was how such a high-pressure blast could occur in the modern technological era.“This should never have happened. Discrepancies can occur, and we could not prevent what was destined to happen, but at least moving forward, there must be strict precautions,” Khader said.An inquiry was necessary to determine why and how the blast occurred, he said.In this modern era of technology and advancements like AI, Khader said, when pressure builds up, there ought to be alert systems, signalling equipment, and extra safety mechanisms in place. Was that equipment properly implemented, or did the alert systems fail? Has it been operating this way previously? Why did it occur?To investigate all these aspects, the chief minister has already directed a high-ranking officer to conduct a thorough probe, he said.Khader said the district administration will survey any homes, mosques, churches or temples damaged in the blast. For anyone who has incurred losses or property damage, the govt will ensure proper compensation is provided through MRPL. The govt certainly stands firmly with the family of the blast victim, Khader said.The minister also expressed displeasure that MRPL officials allegedly did not show up when the family of Karkada was in deep sorrow.“I will speak directly to the managing director of MRPL and also bring it to the attention of our chief minister to ensure all required govt assistance and the compensation and support due from MRPL are duly provided to the family,” he added.
