Telangana kids await compensation a year after death of parents in mishap

YADADRI- BHUVANAGIRI: It has been more than a year since the parents of Rithika and Ganesh, fifth and sixth graders, respectively, died in a road accident when an RTC bus crushed them while they were removing weeds from the median of a main road near Alair town on March 6, 2022. 

However, the siblings’ guardians are yet to receive a compensation of Rs 5 lakh announced by the State government. 

The siblings’  parents — Urella Shyam Prasad and Lavanya — were daily-wage labourers. After the death of their parents, the onus of educating them fell on the shoulders of their maternal grandparents — Yadagiri and Chandramma — who work as labourers in Raigiri village. When contacted, Yadgiri said that he is unsure how long he and his wife would be able to fund the children’s education, who are currently studying in Valigonda and Alair residential schools. “If the government gives us the compensation, we will deposit it in our bank accounts and meet our daily needs through the interest amount,” he added.

The announcement of compensation came after Bhuvanagiri MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy staged a protest a day after their parents’ death on March 7, 2022, in front of the Collector’s office. In response, the Additional Collector promised to sanction a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased’s family, on behalf of the government.

Speaking to TNIE, TPCC General Secretary P Pramodakumar and Raigiri Congress leader P Yadagiri said that it is outrageous that a year has passed and the State government is yet to release the compensatory amount. They said that the government has to take responsibility to support the orphan children and warned that they would organise another protest in front of the Yadadri DC’s office if the family is not compensated within the next three days.