Visakhapatnam: Political leaders console shocked boat owners

Visakhapatnam: The biggest fire mishap that occurred at Fishing Harbour here on Sunday night is due to the failures of the ruling party, alleged Opposition leaders.

Even after 12 hours after the incident, JSP, TDP, Left and AAP leaders said that the fisheries minister did not visit the harbour.

On Monday, a number of public representatives visited the incident spot and interacted with the peoples who lost their boats in the fire mishap.

Meanwhile, the fishermen community demanded that those involved in arson resulting in destruction of their boats should be nabbed and be meted out punishment. For hours, they staged a dharna at the harbour’s main gate.

Responding to the incident, BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao spoke to Union fisheries minister Parshottam Rupala and requested that the Centre should also extend its support to the victims.

JSP leaders Kona Tatarao, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, Kandula Nagraju, among others, raised objection over the negligence shown by the YSRCP towards the victims after the incident and alleged that even drinking water was not provided to them when they were disturbed emotionally.

TDP former ministers Kollu Ravindra and Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, former MLA Gandi Babji, MLC Vepada Chiranjeevi Rao and MLA PGVR Naidu (Ganababu) demanded the state government to provide 100 per cent compensation to the victims.

Fisheries minister Seediri Appalaraju, Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana, former minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Visakhapatnam South MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, district party president Kola Guruvulu interacted with the fishermen and enquired about the mishap. They assured that every possible support would be extended to them from the state government.