Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government today issued an order constituting a four-member Magisterial Inquiry Committee to investigate the devastating fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, which claimed multiple lives and triggered concerns over regulatory lapses.
According to the Home Department’s notification, the inquiry panel will be chaired by North Goa Collector Ankita Yadav, IAS, and will include South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma, IPS, Ashutosh Apte, Director of Forensic Sciences, and Rajendra A. Haldankar, Deputy Director of Fire & Emergency Services.
The committee has been tasked with examining the complete sequence of events leading to the incident, verifying statutory licences and compliance status, and identifying any lapses by agencies or departments. It has also been empowered to summon officials, call for records, and recommend preventive and corrective measures.
The government has directed the committee to submit its report within one week, signalling an urgent push to establish accountability and address systemic failures that may have contributed to the tragedy.
Copies of the order have been forwarded to the Chief Minister’s Office, the Director General of Police, and other concerned authorities for immediate action.
