TDP alleges neglect of boat victims in Rajamahendravaram

Rajamahendravaram: Peddapuram TDP MLA and former home minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa criticised Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for not even visiting the accident spot and holding a review after "having a joy ride" in the name of aerial survey.

Speaking to reporters along with other TDP leaders at the government hospital here on Saturday, he reminded out that ormer chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu camped at Mantur last year where a boat capsized and supervised rescue operations.

Observing that the government had failed miserably in tracing the missing passengers and retrieving the sunken boat, he said there was no clarity on the number of people onboard at the time of accident and questioned why the boat was allowed when the river was swirling with around five lakh cusecs of floodwater.

"The family members of the victims are facing severe problems in the hospital due to lack of basic facilities. Rescue operations were stopped from Friday at Kacchulurumanda with Navy and Uttarakhand teams expressing their in ability to bring out the boat," the former Deputy Chief Minister said.

Former water resources minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao said the state government was enacting dramas to mislead the people on the boat accident. He demanded the government to analyse the call data of police officials of Devipatnam to know who phoned the police to allow the boat though there was flood in the river.

He urged Jagan Mohan Reddy to ensure bodies of all victims were handed over to their families on humanitarian ground and not to stop search till the last body was found. Rural MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, former MLA Jyothula Nehru were also present.