KAKINADA: Four women NREGS workers were killed and two others injured after a lorry hit them near Kovvuru village in Kakinada district on Saturday while they were marking attendance through a biometric system due to lack of mobile connectivity at their worksite.
Villagers from Cheediga and relatives of the deceased staged a protest at the accident site, alleging negligence by the lorry driver and the Upadi technical assistant.
According to Kakinada Rural Circle Inspector Chaitanya Krishna and Indrapalem Sub-Inspector M Veerababu, around 20 Upadi workers had gone to Kovvuru bridge to mark attendance because mobile signals were unavailable at their worksite in Kovvuru village.
While the workers were taking photographs for attendance, a lorry travelling from Yanam to Kakinada via Pagadala Peta on the bypass road allegedly rammed into the group at high speed.
The deceased were identified as Vasamsetti Satyavathi, Palika Krishnaveni, Kada Chittemma and Chelluri Annavaram. Police shifted the bodies to the mortuary for postmortem.
The injured, Palika Nagamani and Mattaparti Arun Kumari, were admitted to hospitals.
Doctors admitted Nagamani to Kakinada Government General Hospital and shifted Arun Kumari to Apollo Hospital.
Indrapalem police inspected the accident site and registered a case. Police said investigation is underway.
Deputy Chief Minister and Pithapuram MLA Pawan Kalyan expressed grief over the incident.
He said the Central government would provide Rs 4 lakh and the State government Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the families of the deceased.
He also directed DWAMA officials to install warning boards at work sites and along roads to regulate vehicle speed.
Left party leaders staged a protest at Kakinada Government General Hospital along with relatives of the deceased and demanded immediate compensation for the victims’ families.
Kakinada Rural MLA Pantham Venkateswara Rao, popularly known as Nanaji, announced financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to each bereaved family.
