1,982 gas leak victims get solatium

Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday distributed cheques for ₹10,000 each to 1,982 residents of Venkatapuram and Kamparapalem, which were affected by the gas leak from LG Polymers.

The Minister said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had not only extended the relief, but also ordered better treatment facilities to the victims. He had also released funds for improvement of the healthcare facilities in the affected villages.

RDO Kishore, Zonal Commissioner Ramu and YSRCP leaders Malla Vijay Prasad and Behara Bhaskara Rao were present.

More compensation sought

Meanwhile, residents of Venkatapuram, mostly women, hit the road in protest demanding higher compensation, claiming that their village was the worst-affected by the styrene monomer leak from LG Polymers.

Protesting residents of Venkatapuram said it was not right to treat them at par with residents of other villages which were not as badly affected as theirs. Hundreds of villagers were stopped by the police when they were marching towards the LG Polymers unit at RR Venkatapuram.

The protesters later continued their dharna at their village. Their demands included a job for every family, free ration and essentials for two months, health cards for all and setting up of a multi-speciality hospital in the village.