A detailed investigation will alone reveal the real cause of industrial accidents, and we have to wait till the reports are submitted, YSRC Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy has said.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday after visiting Visakha Solvents at J.N. Pharma City, where an employee died and another was injured in a major fire that broke out on Monday night., Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy said, “There can be multiple reasons, from mechanical problems to human error. Most importantly, we have to see how things are handled in the factories post lockdown. At the same time, we are also looking into the conspiracy angle.”
Visakhapatnam has seen a series of industrial accidents in the last three months – styrene vapour leak at LG Polymers on May 7 that killed 12 persons and hospitalised over 580 people, gas leak at Sainor Life Sciences on June 30 that claimed the lives of two persons and hospitalised four others, and fire at Visakha Solvents in which one person died and another was injured.
Referring to the accidents and the conspiracy angle aimed at damaging the image of the city put forth by Gudivada Amarnath, party MLA, Mr. Vijaya Sai said, “We are not ruling out the sabotage angle, and everything will be revealed in the investigation. But such incidents will not dent the image of the city.”
Asking TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu not to politicise the accidents, he said, “Instead of comforting the family members of the victims, he is trying to gain political mileage. We all know that he (Mr. Naidu) is trying his best to stop Visakhapatnam from becoming the Executive capital of the State, but he will not succeed. He is trying to create a fear factor, but people need not fear.”
Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy also met officials of the JNPC and the Visakha Solvents. Based on the report given by the technical committee, the Chief Minister will take necessary action, he added.
Compensation
After visiting the family members of the deceased and the injured, he said a compensation of ₹50 lakh would be given to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹20 lakh to the injured. The compensation would be borne by the company and the government. Besides, one member of the family of the diseased would be provided employment, he added.