Third party probe to be sought into the Hetero Drugs industry blast

There was also a proposal to establish a special burns ward at the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences

The District Administration will ask the State government to conduct a third party probe into Saturday’s blast at the Hetero Drugs industry, Rajayyapeta in Nakkapalli mandal, Collector V. Seshadri said here on Monday.

Two employees were killed and some others were injured in the blast at a reactor of the factory. While Joint Collector Praveen Kumar would conduct a magisterial inquiry to find the reasons for the blast and also suggest preventive steps and the AP Pollution Control Board and the Inspector of Factories would also conduct a probe and do the safety audit, the State government would be asked to send a special team for a third party inquiry, Mr. Sheshadri told reporters.

Safety measures taken in all industries in the district would be verified in a phased manner, he said.

There was also a proposal to establish a special burns ward at the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences, which was expected to become functional soon, the Collector informed.

Repairs

Regarding repairs taken up by the Irrigation Department to the irrigation schemes and canals damaged by the Nilam cyclone, the engineers were given a stern warning to complete the works in time or face action after it was found that only 30 out of the 200 works taken up with a Rs.5 crore grant by the government were completed, the Collector said.

All government departments were instructed to issue orders only in Telugu.

The Panchayat Raj Department was asked to establish three engineering divisions to take up laying of BT roads to villages having a population of 100 under the Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojana. The district was sanctioned Rs. 1,000 crore under the scheme and received Rs.180 crore in the first phase.

Contractors have to maintain the road free of cost for the first five years after laying them.

Government schools having a strength of more than 500 pupils would be provided drinking water and toilets under the first phase. This would be completed soon and other schools would be taken up later, Mr. Seshadri said.