The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naidu seeks 15 lakh each for Cheemakurthi victims

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Monday, Mar 01, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu seeks 15 lakh each for Cheemakurthi victims

Special Correspondent

Demands detailed enquiry
Rescue operations tardy

N. Chandrababu Naidu

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday demanded sanction, as a special case, of Rs.15 lakh as ex gratia to each Cheemakurthi mine accident victim’s family.

In a letter to Andra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, he said the accident was primarily due to the failure of authorities who allowed the management to carry on mining without following the safety protocol. He expressed shock that during a visit on Saturday, mining was on without leaving buffer zones. He asked the Chief Minister to requisition the services of experts from Singareni Collieries with their 600-strong rescue team and mobilise machinery to clear the debris as fast as possible. He said it was difficult to console relatives who were crying to secure the bodies three days after the accident.

Although the accident occurred on February 25, rescue operations were yet to be speeded up . He demanded a detailed enquiry into the accident to fix responsibility on officials who had failed to ensure safety. In the past one year, he said at least 145 people had died in similar incidents in Prakasam district alone. He wanted a high-level committee to be constituted to inspect mines in the State to ensure that safety standards were maintained.

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