The CPI (M) district committee demanded that the HPCL management immediately pay the compensation it has promised to the victims of the August 23 blast in cooling tower in which 27 were killed and several others received severe burns.
It also criticised Union Minister of State D. Purandeswari and Rajya Sabha member T. Subbarami Reddy for not bothering about the victims. Though the HPCL management has assured the Collector that the compensation would be paid by December 21, it was not paid and there was no clarity on compensation to the workers who survived the accident with severe burns, and the management expressed its inability to pay Rs. 1 crore compensation announced to the family of its officer Ch. Murali, killed in the accident, party’s State secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao alleged at a press conference here on Saturday.
“Ms. Purandeswari and Mr. Subbarami Reddy made a lot of noise initially but have kept quiet even as the deceased workers’ families and injured workers are suffering a lot,” Mr. Narasinga Rao said.
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The safety aspect was neglected in the industry, he said and wanted to know why no action was initiated so far in spite of more than one committee or agency completing inquiries.
Mr Narasinga Rao also pointed out that none of the suggestions made by the Justice S.C. Jain committee in its report on the 1997 fire and blast in the HPCL in which 62 were killed, was implemented.