Sigachi blast: Kin yet to get full compensation of 1 crore

Hyderabad: While the Sigachi management and the state govt had assured a Rs 1 crore compensation to the family of each deceased worker, the kin said that they have only received Rs 25 lakh so far. There is no communication on the remaining Rs 75 lakh, they added.All the victims of the blast were migrant workers from Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and other states.On hearing about the CEO's arrest on Sunday, the families hoped that their compensation would be released, at least now. "I stayed in Hyderabad for three months after the incident, renting a room for ₹6,000 per month just to follow up on the compensation. But after that I gave up and returned home," said Laxman Mukhiya, brother of victim Lakshmi Mukhiya (31), an operator from Darbhanga, Bihar, who is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son. He said that the delay in compensation has pushed the family into financial distress. "My parents and Lakshmi's family depend entirely on me now. So making ends meet is a struggle," he added.In October, several victims' families staged a protest at the Telangana labour commissioner's office at RTC crossroads, demanding the release of the pending amount. But they failed to get any positive response."It is very unfortunate how this has been handled by the officials. After that initial amount in July, there has been zero updates on the remaining dues. Hope, the authorities will wake up now and help us," said Joshna Reddy, who lost her sister Sri Ramya (23) and brother-in-law Nikhil Reddy, both from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.Sigachi statementFollowing the CEO's arrest, Sigachi Industries, in a statement addressed to its stakeholders, said that the management is cooperating with the legal process."We will keep all parties informed as and when there are meaningful developments in the case, subject to legal advisories, given that the matter is sub judice," the company stated.It added that the company continues to support the families of those who died, were injured, and others who were affected by the blast.