Joint action plan to avoid stampede incidents in future: Anam

Nellore: Whiledescribing Tirupati stampede incident, which claimed six lives, as highly unfortunate, Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said that the government is contemplating to design a joint action plan with district administration and Endowments department to avoid such untoward incidents in future.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said the government already transferred Tirupati district SP L Subba Rayudu, TTD JEO M Goutami and CVSO S Sridhar and suspended DSP Ramana Kumar and TTD Goshala Director Harinatha Reddy, who were directly in charge of the token centre.

The Minister said the government has formed a sub-committee with Ministers to collect detailed information. He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is keen on taking stringent action against the persons responsible for the incident and issued clear instructions to conduct the probe in highly transparent manner.

Anam said following the CM’s orders, Home Minister Anita and Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad immediately initiated damage control measures.

He informed that the government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the deceased, Rs 5 lakh for severely injured and Rs 2 lakh to those with minor injuries. The bodies of six people, four from AP, one each from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, were shifted to their native places, he added.

The Minister explained that the incident occurred at Bairagipatteda Rama Naidu School, when a gate was opened to take a devotee, who fell unconscious, outside and this led to stampede.