Support victims for 20 years, ZIOL told
TEAM HERALD
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VASCO: South Goa Collector ND Agrawal has directed officials of Zuari Indian Oiltanking Ltd (ZIOL) to support all victims of the 2012 Naphtha fire tragedy at Daktollem-Vasco for the next 20 years, by covering their medical expenses and providing them a livelihood by depositing money in the accounts of the victims.
Agrawal along with Vasco MLA and KTC Chairman Carlos Almeida, KTC Director Deepak Naik and the ZIOL officials met the families of the victims at the Mormugao Deputy Collector’s office.
The family members informed Agrawal that they had not availed of any financial benefit from the company till date and neither did the officials visit the site to clear the dead trees and compensate them for the loss.
Highlighting their grievances before Almeida, Agrawal and ZIOL officials, the affected families demanded that ZIOL should bear the medical cost of the victims till they recover fully. They also wanted the company to provide them with a livelihood as they had been rendered jobless.
Tulshidas Palyekar, the father of one victim, complained that they were made to wait for long hours at the GMC Hospital and were unable to hire private transport as they had been rendered jobless since they were in Mumbai to take care of their affected children.
After listening to their grievances, Almeida and Naik urged the Collector to direct the ZIOL officials to compensate the victims and also provide livelihood as they had suffered for no fault of theirs.
Agrawal called on the dean of GMC and requested him to ensure that the victims are treated on a priority basis. He also urged the ZIOL officials to foot the travelling expenses to and from the hospital.
“What would you have done if the affected children were your own? Treat them like your own children as they are suffering for no fault of theirs,” Agrawal bluntly told the ZIOL officials.
Agrawal directed the ZIOL officials, as a part of their social obligation, to take care of the victims and their family for the next 20 years, besides paying their medical expenses.
“Open an account in the names of the victims and deposit the necessary amount in these accounts every month after discussing with your seniors, so that the family can withdraw as per their convenience, instead of coming to your office every month,” Agrawal told the officials.
Agrawal also requested the aggrieved parents to accept the compensation and medical expenses provided by ZIOL officials. The parents, however, brought to the notice about the clause in the receipt indicating a one-time settlement. After going through the receipt, Agrawal directed the ZIOL officials to delete the clause and directed them to state as “financial assistance” without any timeframe.
ZIOL CEO NS Venkataraman, who was present at the meeting, told Agrawal that he could not do anything on his own and said he would have to place the matter before his seniors, who meet once in a month, and he would then revert to him.
Agrawal informed Venkataraman that he would, if required, attend the meeting and place the facts before the senior company officials.
Responding to the dead plantation and the contaminated soil, Agrawal has decided to inspect the site later this month along with the director of agriculture and chief engineer of water resource department.
