Andhra Pradesh: pall of gloom descends on families of Parawada accident victims

Members of CITU Pharmacity Staff and Workers Union stage a protest at the KGH seeking action against the pharma company management

A pall of gloom has descended on the families of employees and contract workers, who died in the industrial accident that occurred at Laurus Labs in JN Pharmacity at Parawada in Anakapalli district. Family members and relatives of the accident victims rushed to the mortuary in the King George Hospital and were seen wailing inconsolably, as they waited to take possession of the bodies, after post-mortem.

There was a festive atmosphere in the family of Majji Venkat Rao, one of the deceased contract workers, as his wife M. Devi was in the advanced stage of pregnancy. It turned into gloom on getting information of his death. “He had reported for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift. He left in the morning and was supposed to have returned by 8 p.m. on Monday. When he did not return as expected, we thought he was working overtime. Around 11 p.m., our relatives came to know about the accident through media. My family members had not informed me about his death till the morning. I thought he might have suffered burns,” said Ms Devi, who was weeping along with her four-year-old son. She also informed that Venkat Rao had been working in the company for the last three years. The family resides at Bennavolu village of Chodavaram mandal.

Sankar Rao, brother of Venkata Rao, said that till now (11 a.m.), no representative of the company management, has reached out to them to inform about the incident. He demanded stringent action on the company.

The family members of R. Ramakrishna, another contract worker, are in a state of shock on coming to know about his death. The kin of Ramakrishna said that he was married in June this year. R Satyavathi, wife of Ramakrishna of Chowduvada of K. Kotapadu mandal, said that they have come to know about the accident at around 11 p.m. last night through media. 

Wife of B Rambabu, B Keerthi, a native of Khammam and resident of Anakapalli, had rushed to the mortuary on coming to know about the incident. She said that at around 11 p.m. and her husband had sustained injuries. She came to know that her husband had died through media at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

Members of CITU Pharmacity Staff and Workers Union staged a protest at the KGH demanding action against the pharma company management. CITU leader G. Satyanarayana said that it was evident that negligence and lack of basic safety measures has led to the accident. Though the accident occurred at around 3 p.m., the management had not furnished the details to trade unions and even media.

“An ex gratia of ₹1 crore should be provided to the contract workers and funeral expenses should be borne by the company. A job should be provided to one of the dependents,” Mr Satyanarayana demanded.