GAIL announces additional Rs 5 lakh for Nagaram blast injured

Rajahmundry (AP): A month after the gas pipeline explosion in the Nagaram village that claimed 21 lives, GAIL has announced to give an additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the injured.

In a meeting held on Monday at the office of East Godavari district collector Neetu Prasad, GAIL Executive Director (Human Resources) Amit Kumar Ray and Executive Director (Operation and Management) ES Ranganathan accepted the victims demand to pay an additional of Rs 5 lakh compensation to the injured, according to an official release issued by the district collector's office on Tuesday.

The state-owned gas utility had disbursed amount of Rs 25 lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to injured, as announced by the Andhra Pradesh government, soon after the incident which took place on June 27.

The officials, also accepted the proposal to pay Rs 5 lakh each for 16 houses that were completely destroyed in the blast, for re-construction.

The authorities said they would also conduct a survey of the affected homes with help of experts of JNU, New Delhi. Regarding compensation of the damaged coconut fields and crop, an additional of Rs 2,000 would be given to farmers for the damage for cultivation of new crop. Farmers, were earlier given a compensation of Rs 6,000 each for the damage.

A survey would also be undertaken by the Horticulture department.

A compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre for a year, where coconut plant cultivation was completely damaged with no scope of further cultivation, would be given to the affected families. A sum of Rs 1.20 lakh would also be paid to them for next eight years for the severe damage caused.

The GAIL authorities also said after the through enquiry of Horticultural Department, compensation would be paid to mango and paddy cultivating families, release said.

Employment would be provided to the family members of the deceased and vocational training be given to members of the injured.

Following the meeting, members of the affected families have declared to call off their agitation from Tuesday, it said.