Thrissur, 22 April (H.S.): The Kerala government will take a final decision on the conduct of the famous Thrissur Pooram festival on Thursday, following a high-level meeting with key stakeholders, Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan said on Wednesday.

Addressing the media, Vasavan confirmed that the Kerala High Court has granted permission to convene a high-level meeting to discuss the issue in detail. The meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, will bring together Devaswom authorities and district administration officials to assess the situation before arriving at a decision.

The Minister emphasized that the government would not take a unilateral call on the matter. A decision will be taken only after detailed consultations with the Devaswoms and all concerned stakeholders, he said, adding that public safety remains a top priority in the wake of the recent accident.

Vasavan also made it clear that he would remain in Thrissur until the Pooram is conducted, underlining the government’s commitment to ensuring the smooth and safe conduct of the festival. Meanwhile, a special Cabinet meeting has been convened on Wednesday to review the situation arising from the incident.

Responding to criticism over the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the accident site, the Minister said that the Chief Minister could not visit due to ongoing medical treatment.

Confusion continues over the exact number of casualties in the incident. Authorities confirmed that an additional set of human remains was recovered during search operations on Wednesday, raising concerns about the final toll. Rescue and identification efforts are still underway as officials work to ascertain the full extent of the tragedy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman