Expert Committee must be formed to analyse compensation, impact on victims on short, middle and long term effect of gas leak tragedy : Chandrababu Naidu

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that an expert committee must be formed involving scientists and eminent personalities, to analyze the impact of Styrene gas leak in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and proper investigation should take place to find the culprit behind the incident as people's lives are precious.He also stressed that Committee must evaluate the adequate compensation for victims who may have side effects of the mishap on short, middle and long term basis.

"The Andhra Pradesh state government has constituted a committee of 5 IAS and IPS officers. That is not correct and appropriate ; Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has to constitute an expert committee. Whether any standard operations have failed or any regulatory authorities have failed, that has to be established. An expert committee with scientists and eminent personalities has to be there to know what is the impact of the Styrene gas leak," Naidu told .

Emphasising that the expert committte should look into the aspects of the long term impact of gas leak on the victims' health, he said: "What Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has done is totally wrong. He didnot go through proper investigation or proper details how it happened, ultimately it is superficial, he announced 1 Crore, and also Rs.10,000, Rs.1 Lakh or Rs.10 Lakh like that it is not correct. It is a serious issue. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Chief has made it very clear that styrene gas is dangerous. I do not want to create a pc situation among people. At the same time, we have to take all precautions, otherwise, there will be problems in the future."

"You cannot play with people's lives. What Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has done is totally wrong. He did not order a proper investigation into the incident. He announced compensation without proper assessment which is not correct," he added.

The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Naidu said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has made it very clear to deposit Rs 50 Crores immediately.

"Andhra Pradesh High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the issue. The Human Rights Commission has taken up the case. Even the Prime Minister has taken the matter seriously. It is very unfortunate that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister did not undertake a proper review," Naidu said.

"When Jagan Mohan Reddy landed in Visakhapatnam, it was not correct on his part to meet the representatives of the industry. First of all, he should have visited the site, and then he should have met or observed the victims. He praised the LG Polymers company, stating that it is a very good company. All that was not required there. The main issue is that 12 people had died," he added.

On Thursday, styrene gas had leaked in the gas plant of LG Polymers in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam district on Thursday morning which claimed 11 lives.

( With inputs from ANI )