Flyover collapse: Govt appt comt, suspends 3

Hyderabad, Sep 10: Taking serious view of the incident in which scaffolding of an under construction flyover at the arterial Panjagutta Junction here caved in last night, the Andhra Pradesh Government today suspended three engineering staff and appointed a five-member technical inquiry committee for a probe.

After a review by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Backward Classes Minister Mukesh Goud told reporters here that an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh would be paid to the families of the two deceased.

He also announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 for the injured.

A report had been sought from Superintending Engineer R Sridhar on the incident, he added.

An Expert Committee, headed by the Roads and Buildings Department Engineering Chief with experts drawn from the National Academy of Construction, Indian Institute of Technology -Madras, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and Osmania University, had been asked to submit its report in three days.

The government would not hestitate to initiate criminal action against those held responsible for the incident by the experts committee, Mr Goud asserted.

Those suspended were Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Executive Engineer B N Rajeswar, Deputy Executive Engineer S Venkataramani and Assistant Engineer K Bheema Naik.

UNI