Chennai: Tamil Nadu Government today (July 19, 2004) ordered the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry, headed by a retired Judge of the Madras High Court, to inquire into the circumstances and causes that led to the fire accident in Kumbakonam on Friday, in which 90 children were burnt to death.

An expert panel, consisting of a woman social worker with experience in education, an expert in fire safety and an eminent child psychologist, would assist the Commission, which will give its report in four months.

The Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, and the Chief Engineer (buildings) would be the ex-officio members of the panel, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in a statement tonight.

The secretary, school education, would be the convenor of the panel. In order that all steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents were implemented in a time-bound manner, the Commission would be required to submit its report in four months time, she said.

The Commission (judge yet to be named) would also go into all reform measures needed to ensure that such ghastly incidents did not recur, Jayalalithaa said.