Government responsible for tragedy: Sitaram Yechury

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who visited the site of the fireworks tragedy in Kollam on Monday,  said that the UDF government cannot shy away from its responsibility for the accident.

Mr  Yechury told DC that the fireworks could not have been carried out without the intervention of ruling party’s influential leaders and the government. “When the collector and the ADM denied the permission, at whose behest did the police give the nod for fireworks?  Only a judicial probe by a sitting judge will be able to find out the involvement of the government and  ruling party leaders,” he said and demanded adequate compensation for the next of  kin of the victims.

He said government jobs should be provided to a member each of the victims’ families. It was the responsibility of the government to ensure that adequate safety was provided to the life and property of the people.

But in the case of Paravur, all norms had been violated resulting in the loss of so many innocent lives, he said and added that despite such huge tragedy the government was taking it lightly. Had the government and police been vigilant, it could have been avoided.

He urged the centre to declare the accident as a national disaster. Earlier, Mr Yechury visited the site of the mishap and the injured undergoing  treatment
in  Kollam hospital and Thiruvananthapuram  MCH.