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LPG blast: insurance firm acts, at last

March 04, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:52 am IST - VISAKHAPATNAM:

Officials of United India Insurance, who have been making the LPG cylinder blast victims and their kin from Rangireeju Veedhi in the Old Town area run from pillar to post for over two months, seem to have finally decided to pay them compensation.

Reacting to the report — ‘LPG blast: kin of victims yet to get relief’ — which was published in The Hindu on February 22, a team of representatives of HPCL and surveyors of the UII went to the area on Monday and gathered details about the accident from the victims and their family members.

Four persons had lost their lives and a few others were injured in the accident, which had occurred in the house of K. Varalakshmi on December 9, 2014.

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All the victims were poor and were not even aware that they had to lodge a complaint with the police.

Vistarana Mass Communication Society, a voluntary organisation, took up the case on their behalf, lodged complaints, and followed it up with the gas dealer, HPCL officials concerned, and the insurance company.

The insurance company officials seemed to have been emboldened by the “indifference of the HPCL officials,” who were not pursuing the compensation claims, vice-president of the society Korikana Sujatha Prasad said.

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This is despite the fact that the PSU oil companies are paying an annual premium of Rs.100 crore.

“The insurance company representatives have taken signatures from the victims and have promised to make payment of compensation soon,” gas dealer Appalakonda, who claims to be pursuing the case with the insurance officials, told The Hindu when contacted on Tuesday.

“The corporate hospital that had treated the victims would have rendered better treatment had the insurance company responded in time. The gas consumer has authorised us to approach the State Consumer Court on their behalf, and we are ready for the same if the authorities delay payment of compensation,” said another representative of the society.

Four persons had lost their lives and a few others were injured in the accident that had occurred on December 9, 2014

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