NELLORE: Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh State Girijana Yanadi Samakhya have demanded that stringent action be taken against those who were found guilty in the Polrukatta fireworks unit blast case in which several poor, innocent ‘Challa Yanadi’ workers perished while some others were badly injured a few days ago.
Yanadi Samakhya leaders submitted a memorandum to Collector R. Mutyala Raju here on Friday when they took objection to the fact that one Ponnuru Bhasker, an ST worker, was forced to make a statement that he was the owner of the illegal fireworks unit.
The leaders said that the police authorities should consider this as a grave violation of the STs’ rights and register additional cases against the accused persons and real owners of the ill-fated crackers unit under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, and the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, 1989).
Samakhya president G. Sriramulu and honorary president Sk. Basheer asserted that ST Yanadis were being subjected to serious exploitation in explosives units, brick kilns and aqua culture tanks. The officials should initiate steps for their rehabilitation and also for safeguarding the interests of ST children from bonded labour problems, they added.
The leaders also sought a special assistance of Rs. 10 lakh each for the family members of the fireworks blast victims under the ST sub plan and also a job for each family.
