Temple committee sacked post-stampede

Hyderabad, Jan 3 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy sacked the temple committee, including the Chairman, of the Sri Durga Malleswara Swami temple at Vijayawada, following the tragic stampede, which left six people dead and 17 injured.

''The committee should have made effective arrangements for the 'Deeksha' celebrations,'' Dr Reddy said in a release here.

The Chief Minister instructed the executive bodies of all the main temples in the state to avoid recurrence of such tragic incidents.

Meanwhile, opposition Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu demanded Rs five lakh as ex gratia to the family of the victims and Rs two lakh as compensation for the injured.

''Authorities failed to make adequate preparations though they were aware of the possible heavy influx of pilgrims,'' he alleged.

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