A High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the state government on Sunday met with victims of the Visakhapatnam gas leak and political parties.
The victims told the HPC that they were seeking monetary compensation as well as jobs for the kin of the deceased. They also sought health cards and a hospital locally, to help with any healthcare issues that may come up in the future.
The committee assured them that their demands will be looked into.
Members of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and BJP also met the committee and sought strict action against the management of the LG Polymers plant for negligence. They also recommended that the plant should be shifted and compensation should be disbursed swiftly.
Mild tension prevailed after Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader and activist Bolisetty Satyanarayana was not allowed to attend the meeting as his name did not figure in the list of attendees. Some members of the JSP staged a small protest, but Satyanarayana later submitted a representation to the committee.
Last week, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) said that South Korean company LG Polymers India has absolute liability for the loss of life and public health in the gas leak incident at its plant in Visakhapatnam, while directing that an interim penalty of Rs 50 crore would be spent on compensation to the victims and the restoration of environment.
The National Green Tribunal directed that a restoration plan should be prepared by a Committee and also directed Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary to identify and take appropriate action against persons responsible for failure of law in permitting the company to operate without statutory clearances within two months and give a report.
Leakage of a hazardous gas, styrene, took place on May 7 from a chemical factory owned by LG Polymers India at Venkatapuram village near Visakhapatnam, resulting in the death of at least 12 persons.
The leak impacted villages in a five-km radius, leaving scores of citizens suffering from breathlessness and other problems. Hours after the styrene gas leak, many people could be seen lying unconscious on sidewalks, near ditches and on the road, raising fears of a major industrial disaster.
IANS inputs