YS Jagan blames govt. negligence for Simhachalam mishap

Visakhapatnam, April 30: Terming the Simhachalam tragedy as a man made havoc, former Chief Minister and YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said stringent action should be taken against those responsible for the negligence and an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore ex-gratia should be paid to the kin of the deceased family. Speaking to media here on Wednesday after consoling the wailing family members of the deceased, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said,  sheer negligence of the government has claimed the innocent lives of the devotees as the wall which collapsed killing the devotees was constructed without the prescribed format nor were tenders called for. 

The construction of wall was carried out in a hurry and it was not a RCC wall, it was raining and devotees were asked to queue up along the wall which shows the sheer negligence on part of the government, he said. 
Despite knowing that Chandanotsavam is a calendar event and also knowing fully well that lakhs of devotees would throng the temple to witness the Appannaswamy Nijaroopa dharshan and it is customary that it would rain during the event, the authorities did not take proper measures and allowed the devotees to queue up at the ten feet high wall without providing any facilities. 
We demand that the kin of the deceased families should be given Rs one crore exgratia as our government had done during the LG Polymers gas leak incident, he said and pointed out that a series of such incidents have been happening ever since the coalition government has assumed office. 
During his previous term 29 lives lost due to the stampede which stemmed due to the publicity craze of Chandrababu Naidu in the Godavari pushkarams and in the eleven months since the coalition government was formed similar incidents were repeatedly taking place by sheer negligence of the government. 

Chandrababu tried to politicise Tirupati laddu issue and during Vaikunta Ekadasi six people died in the stampede as the devotees were flocked in a park and the gates were suddenly opened. The police force was deputed to Kuppam for Chandrababu’s visit and the devotees had to pay a heavy price. Thereafter we have seen cows dying in large numbers at Tirupati Gosala and starred tortoises dying at the holy place of Srikurmam bulldozers razing Kasinayana ashram at Kadapa. 
Chandrababu Naidu is in the habit of just forming a committee whenever such incidents occur and the whereabouts of the report is never known. During the Tirupati incident, the SP was transferred but given a better posting, he said. 
Now this incident brings to light the negligence of the government. In the Tirupati and Simhachalam incidents the government knew in advance that lakhs of devotees would be arriving, yet it was found wanting and its negligence has taken the lives of innocent devotees.
We demand that the government stringent action against those responsible for the incident instead of resorting to diversionary tactics.