Security personnel remained on alert at the NTPC Unchahar plant three days after a boiler explosion left 31 dead so far and which triggered a massive demonstration by workers on Thursday.
On Saturday, most workers, except for those of the thermal power plant’s affected sixth unit, arrived as usual for the morning shift from 8am while the administration claimed that it had started disbursing compensation to the injured and the kin of the dead.
Work in the sixth unit had been stopped on Wednesday after the deadly explosion.
Rae Bareli district magistrate Sanjay Khatri said the situation has returned to normal at the plant and it work as usual except in the affected sixth unit.
“I handed over compensation cheques of Rs 2 lakh each to the family members of three deceased on Friday in Unchahar tehsil. The remaining compensation cheques will be disbursed today,” he said.
Madan Kumar, sud divisional magistrate (Unchahar) said out of the nine workers from Rae Bareli district killed in the blast, eight belonged to Unchahar tehsil.
“Of the eight killed in the mishap, the DM handed over three cheques to kin of deceased in Cheepiya and Tikaura village on Friday. I handed over compensation cheques to kin of three deceased today. One cheque is pending with me as the same has to be handed over to the family of the deceased AGM Sanjiv Kumar Sharma. Sharma’s family has gone to Saharanpur after his death. One cheque is being prepared and will be disbursed Sunday,” he told HT.
{{/usCountry}}“Of the eight killed in the mishap, the DM handed over three cheques to kin of deceased in Cheepiya and Tikaura village on Friday. I handed over compensation cheques to kin of three deceased today. One cheque is pending with me as the same has to be handed over to the family of the deceased AGM Sanjiv Kumar Sharma. Sharma’s family has gone to Saharanpur after his death. One cheque is being prepared and will be disbursed Sunday,” he told HT.
{{/usCountry}}Read more: NTPC blast: UP labour dept probe team accuses power giant of gross negligence
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who returned from a three-day trip to Mauritius on Saturday, visited Lucknow hospitals where the victims of boiler explosion are undergoing treatment.
Adityanath, who visited the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), the Civil hospital and the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), enquired about the condition of the severely injured labourers and directed doctors to ensure that they got the best treatment.
“We are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief and will do everything to help them,” he said while directing officials to ensure that the ex-gratia to the families of the dead and financial assistance for the injured reaches them promptly.
On the opposition demand of a probe by an external agency, the CM said, “The energy minister was here and he has analyzed the situation and taken decision for a probe.”
“Some of the serious patients have also been sent to Delhi via air ambulance,” he told media after meeting doctors at the Civil hospital.
(With inputs from agencies)