Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has called for stringent action including imprisonment against drivers of tipper lorries who violated laws and drove recklessly.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after attending the funeral of the three Class four students, Aswathi, Megha M. Nair and Srilakshmi, who were run over by a tipper lorry on Wednesday near Mavelikara, Mr. Achuthanandan said laws banning operation of tipper lorries during school timings and restrictions on their speed existed. However, drivers appeared to be least bothered about these laws.
Moreover, officials, who were supposed to take into custody reckless drivers and their vehicles, were also lax in taking action and this attitude was leading to such tragic accidents. If both the drivers and the officials took the law seriously, such accidents can be avoided in future, he said, adding that violators of such laws and drivers who did not attach speed governors to their lorries should be jailed.
Mr. Achuthanandan later visited the residences of the three students and distributed Rs.5 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to their families. A sum of Rs.50,000 was given to Nekha M. Nair, who was injured in the accident.
Earlier, the public arrived in large numbers to pay their last respects to the three children, whose bodies were kept for public viewing at their school, the Edappon Vivekananda Vidyapeeth near Nooranad in Mavelikara, before the funeral. Students of the school and teachers too were present to bid a tearful farewell to the three classmates.
Coir and Cooperation Minister G. Sudhakaran, Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy, K.K. Shaju, MLA, C.S. Sujatha, former MP, and District Collector Mini Antony among others were also present.
