Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nimmakayala China Rajappa, who visited Gokulapadu village in Visakhapatnam district on Monday, where six persons died and five were severely injured in a blast at a cracker manufacturing unit that occurred on Sunday, said the government would strictly impose ban on employing children in cracker manufacturing units.
“Children have died in the last couple of months at various cracker manufacturing units in the coastal districts, and we are asking the MRO, police and the officials from fire department to monitor the units on a regular basis.”
Mr. Rajappa said most of the accidents in such units were due to employing unskilled workers. “We need to look into this aspect and also the employment of women in such a hazardous industry,” he said. According to him, the units, even those with licence, had been violating the norms of maintaining the prescribed amount of stock of chemicals. “Many are overstocking and this was one of the reasons for the accidents. The authorities have been instructed to monitor the stock and the working conditions,” he said. The Deputy CM also said that he would recommend a higher amount of compensation to the families of the deceased. The Chief Minister had already sanctioned Rs. 2 lakh per family and the cheques were handed over by Mr. Rajappa on Monday. “The workers are from a very poor background and hence I will try to increase the compensation amount,” he said.
The government had already assured the injured persons that it would bear the entire cost of treatment at a corporate hospital and it would be ensured that some compensation was also given, he said.