Fifty days since one of the most horrendous bus mishaps, the families of victims remain disowned and humiliated. Yet to receive any compensation, they say they at least would want to hear a word of comfort.
Protesting against the very attitude of the state government and its administration, family members of those who lost lives on the fateful day, gathered at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park on Friday and sat on ‘Aarani Mantala Deeksha’. The bus inferno had charred away lives of 45 passengers in a multi-axle luxury Volvo bus that apparently rammed on to a culvert near Palem village in Mahabubnagar in the wee hours of October 30, Government has not just released any ex gratia to the families of victims but also shied away from taking any responsibility.
Friends, relatives and supporters of victims under the organisation Action Committee of Mahbubnagar Bus Fire Accident Victims demanded the government to release the ex gratia as well as provide one of the family members with a job. D Sudhakar, committee coordinator, pointed out that police have failed to arrest the owner of the bus JC Uma Reddy, wife of JC Prabhakar Reddy, former minister JC Diwakar Reddy’s brother. ‘’We have submitted all the documents that prove that Prabhakar Reddy’s wife is the owner of the bus. The real culprits were let off,” he said.
A case has been filed at the AP Lokayukta and AP State Human Rights Commission against the Road Transport Authority officials and Wanaparthy DSP, he added. Other demands include resignation of transport minister Botcha Satyanarayana, arrest of JC Prabhakar Reddy and Uma Reddy. According to him, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and transport minister have asked the families of victims to look out for third party insurance after claiming that the bus did not belong to the state of Andhra Pradesh. Earlier, exactly after a month from the incident when the families had staged a protest seeking resignation of transport minister at the minister’s quarters, they were taken into custody.