
BRS leader T. Harish Rao interacting with the kin of Sigachi victims at Sangareddy on Monday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
HYDERABAD
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has taken out a protest rally along with the family members of victims of the Sigachi Industries, criticising the delay in handing over the bodies and payment of compensation/ex-gratia.
Senior leader of the party and former minister T. Harish Rao, legislators Ch. Prabhakar, V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy, K. Manik Rao, Bharathi Nagar (GHMC) Corporator V. Sindhu Reddy, former MLA Ch. Kranthi Kiran and others led the protest till the Collectorate. A memorandum was submitted to Additional Collector (Local Bodies) B. Chanrashekar with a plea to hand over the bodies and disburse the compensation.
Before that, Mr. Harish Rao interacted with the kin of the Sigachi victims. A total of 54 employees and workers were burnt alive following the reactor blast on June 30. Even a month after the accident, several families were yet to get the bodies of their dear ones and had to perform the last rites with the ashes collected at the blast site, he said.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had visited the accident site on July 1 and announced ₹1 crore compensation each to the families of those killed in the mishap. However, it has failed to reach the victims’ kin so far.
A few families had explained to them (BRS leaders) that the authorities were responding in a very inhuman way on being asked about the death certificate and ex-gratia stating that they (families) were fortunate enough at least to get the ashes and even that was not possible in the SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) tunnel collapse occurred in February this year, Mr. Harish Rao said.
The seriously injured in the Sigachi mishap were promised ₹10 lakh but the authorities had washed off their hands by giving ₹50,000 each. Their family members were expressing dismay that they were incurring over ₹30,000 in expenses for every visit and a couple of days stay here from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Mr. Harish Rao appealed to the company management to give ₹50 lakh ex-gratia to the seriously injured workers and also a monthly salary since they were not in a position to work. Even after a month there was no official figure of those killed and injured in the accident and sought to know why such details were being concealed. The company management was claiming that eight workers were missing without any evidence. Their families must be given death certificates and ex-gratia since there was no chance of their survival.
Published – July 28, 2025 09:40 PM is