Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan has said that the criminal negligence on the part of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) led to the Chala gas tanker lorry tragedy.
Addressing mediapersons here, after visiting the houses of the victims of the disaster along with CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and other LDF leaders, on Saturday, V S Achuthanandan said that the IOC should give compensation amounting to `10 lakh to each of the victims.
He said that the IOC, the state government and the Central government were bound to ensure the safety of the people, but they had failed to perform their duty.
The Opposition Leader demanded a high-level inquiry headed by a judge into the tragedy.
He also demanded implementation of a rehabilitation package including measures to rebuild all the damaged houses, shops and buildings in the affected area.
Rescue vehicles should be kept ready at the district headquarters to meet disasters, he said.
CPI leader and MLA representing the Karunagappally constituency, C Divakaran, said that a high-level meeting of the IOC officials and experts should have been held immediately after the tragedy.
He said the IOC hadn’t cared to implement any of the precautionary measures directed to be taken after the Karunagappally gas disaster.
A decision had been taken to post two drivers in each gas tanker lorry, but there was only one driver in the illfated tanker lorry as it met with the mishap at Chala, he said.
LDF leaders M K Saseendran, C K Nanu, Ramachandran Kadannappally and P Jayarajan were present at the news conference.
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