TIRUPATI: Chief Minister K Rosaiah announced Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the families of the victims of Pallipattu fire mishap.
Disclosing, this at a press conference, Forest Minister P Ramachandra Reddy said that 27 from the district were killed in the blaze in a cracker godown in Pallipattu, Tamil Nadu, on October 16. Reddy said that the victims were from various places in Chittoor district, who went to the crackers godown on eve of Deepavali, to purchase crackers, including nine from Karvetinagaram mandal, three from SR Puram, four from Puttur, five from Nagari, three from Tirupati, one each from Irala, Nagalapuram and Renigunta mandals.
Lauding the district officials efforts in identifying and bringing the bodies back to hand them over to their families, he denied any negligence on part of the district administration in reacting to the incident and added: “The negligence was on the part of Tamil Nadu Government in dealing with the issue.” Alleging shabby treatment of the relatives and friends who reached Pallipattu after receiving the news of the tragic incident, by Tamil Nadu officials, he said that many complained to him that doctors at Thiruvallore hospital demanded money to hand over the bodies.
Senior officials, including Chittoor RDO Subramanyeswar Reddy and Karvetinagaram CI Venkatappa, reached Pallipattu, immediately, to co-ordinate with Tamil Nadu officials, he explained.
Chittoor: Collector V Seshadri said that eight of the injured in the Pallipattu fire mishap were taken by the district officials to Vellore CMC Hospital, for better treatment on the night of October 16. Two of them were later shifted to Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, after their condition turned critical.
Speaking to mediapersons here Sunday, he said that the Government will bear all the expenses for the treatment of the patients undergoing treatment in the hospitals at Vellore and Chennai.
He also said that the Government had also instructed to provide employment to a member of the victims families, on compassionate grounds.
