(MENAFN- Live Mint) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced an ex-gratia of ₹25 lakh for the families of the victim who died tragic stampede at the Tirupati Balaji Temple . Meanwhile, the injured will also be granted special darshan at the temple on Friday.
The tragic incident took place on January 8 and resulted in the loss of six lives. Nearly 40 people were injured. CM Naidu visited the site on Thursday.
" ₹25 Lakhs ex-gratia and contract job will be provided to the families of the deceased. 35 injured victims will be provided darshan tomorrow," said CM.
He also assured that a judicial inquiry would be ordered to conduct a thorough investigation and provide a detailed report.
Also Read | Tirupati stampede: What led to death of 6 devotees?
"Judicial inquiry will be ordered into the incident to submit a detailed report. Two officials - Goshala director Arunadh Reddy and one police personnel have been suspended. SP, AEO Gautami and one more person are being transferred," he added.
Naidu further acknowledged that the security arrangements for crowd management had "failed".
"I'm not blaming anyone. I've been in politics for the last 45 years. Security was deployed but more precautions should have been taken. The officials who were deployed failed. If they had released them half an hour or one hour prior, this wouldn't have happened. Better coordination is required," said the Chief Minister.
Jagan Mohan Reddy says 'Why proper arrangements were not made'
Expressing deep concern, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy , meanwhile, demanded immediate accountability from the government and concerned authorities.
He said that such a tragic event marked an unprecedented incident in Tirumala's history, where millions of devotees gather every year for Vaikuntha Ekadashi without any issues.
"Why proper arrangements were not made despite the anticipated heavy crowd", questioned Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Also Read | Tirupati stampede: Five ways to stay safe during crowd rush
Reddy also criticised the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the state government for their negligence and lack of planning.
"The crowd for Vaikuntha Ekadashi is expected every year. Why were there no proper arrangements at the ticket counters? Why was security not deployed? This incident could have been avoided if the administration and police had acted systematically", said Jagan Mohan Reddy.
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