The powerful blast at a factory of Solar Industries near Nagpur, which killed nine workers, found its echo in the Maharashtra assembly where the opposition sought higher compensation for the kin of the deceased and insisted on a discussion on the matter on Monday.
The lower house of the legislature witnessed a walk out by opposition members after speaker Rahul Narwekar disallowed a discussion on the the issue of the blast in the factory of Solar Industries Pvt Ltd. The walkout scene was repeated later when Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced financial assistance for farmers who have lost their crops to the recent unseasonal showers.
Nine workers were killed and three others seriously injured in a massive blast at the explosives manufacturing factory in Chakdoh in Nagpur district on Sunday.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress tried to raise the issue in the house and demanded higher compensation for the kin of the victims. However, speaker Narwekar refused to take up the issue. Wadettiwar said, \"We want Rs 50 lakh to be given to the kin of each of the deceased because they have lost an earning member. The factory lacked adequate security measures. It was decided in 2018 that compensation amount in such incidents would be Rs 25 lakh (per victim). However, this policy was not followed by the state government.\"
Chief Minister Shinde has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation each to the next of the kin of the deceased from the government's side. Separately, the company has said it will pay Rs 20 lakh each to the affected families. Wadettiwar said the affected families should get higher compensation. The senior Congress MLA and the entire opposition staged a walkout immediately after his speech.
In the evening, when Shinde announced financial assistance for farmers who have lost their crops to unseasonal showers, Wadettiwar along with others in the opposition left the house after expressing disapproval of the compensation amount. \"The chief minister's announcement is just a number game and it would not help farmers at all. Farmers who lose their crops get some amount as advance but ultimately they never get due compensation from insurance companies,\" the LoP stated.
Senior Congress MLA and former state minister Balasaheb Thorat said the opposition is not happy with the government. \"Two walkouts in one day show how much we are frustrated with this government. Walkout is the last option left with us. When all other ways to raise pro-people issues fail, the opposition has no option but to walk out of the house,\" Thorat maintained.
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