Minister for Civil Supplies Kodali Venkateswara Rao (Nani) on Saturday held the Opposition leader, N. Chandrababu Naidu, responsible for the gas leak tragedy in Visakhapatnam, arguing that the permission for industrial operations and for expansion of the unit had been given to LG Polymers during the TDP rule.
Addressing the media here, the Minister launched a scathing attack on the TDP president accusing him of “politicising” the tragedy.
Knowing that the plant was surrounded by residential colonies, Mr. Naidu had given permission for its expansion in 2017.
In 2018, he had given permission to the company to expand and start operations for the next five years, he said, alleging that the TDP chief was now trying to shift the blame on the YSRCP.
To probe the circumstances that led to the accident that claimed 12 lives and caused serious illness to many, the government had constituted a five-member committee.
The Minister asserted that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was doing all he could to ensure that the situation was brought back to normal at the earliest. Within hours of the incident, the situation was brought under control. Ex gratia of ₹1 crore to the kin of the deceased and ₹10 lakh to those who were seriously ill had been announced, he pointed out.
The Chief Minister rushed to the place of the incident, reviewed the situation and personally met people who were affected. On the contrary, Mr. Naidu “confined himself to his home in Hyderabad and showing fake concern for the victims.”
