Amid heavy police bandobust and barricading, the high-power committee constituted to inquire into the styrene vapour leak incident in LG Polymers plant here, held talks with a select group of political party representatives and affected villagers on Sunday.
The committee is headed by senior IAS officer Neerabh Kumar Prasad.
The GVMC building, the venue of the meeting, turned into a fortress with the deployment of large posse of police force. Entry into the building was allowed only to those who had permission to attend the meeting with the members of the committee.
The committee was constituted by the State government to find out the causes that led to the accident that claimed 12 lives and hospitalised many on May 7.
While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had found fault with the management, the High Court ordered seizure of the passports of top officials of the Korean company.
Woman cries foul
“My husband, Y. Kanaka Raju, died because of inhaling poisonous gas that leaked from the LG Polymers plant. He died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city on June 1. However, none has come to console me,” bemoaned Lavanya, a home-maker from R.R. Venkatapuram, the village where the chemical plant is located.
Ms. Lavanya told The Hindu that the authorities should recognise that her husband died due to the toxic gas emission.
N. Srinivas, uncle of the deceased, said they were hankering for ₹1 crore compensation announced to all those who died due to the gas leak, and alleged that they were denied entry by the police saying they had no permission to meet the committee members. Demanding that the post mortem report be disclosed, he said it would confirm the death due to inhalation of styrene monomer vapour.
CPI(M) city committee president B. Ganga Rao demanded the immediate closure of the LG Polymers plant and arrest of the top management of the company, and wondered why the committee did not allow all the affected people to air their grievances.
LG Polymers Pollution Sufferers’ Welfare Committee president G. Venkat Reddy said they would continue their protests till justice was done to all the affected people. He said 400 farmers who suffered should also be given adequate compensation.
BJP city women’s wing vice-president Madhavi Charles said the committee lacked transparency. Jana Sena Visakha West constituency coordinator Pilla Ramakrishna said the committee should allow everyone to submit their representations.
