Blast: CM Naidu Asks Officials to Visit Sivakasi to Study Safety Norms at Fireworks Units

Vijayawada:Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to visit Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, where a host of units are manufacturing fireworks, and study the safety norms there for emulation in Andhra Pradesh.

“Come up with a Standard Operating Procedure to ensure safety in Andhra Pradesh,” he asked them at a review meeting he held with senior officials on the Real Time Governance System and others on Monday.

Naidu called for a study on manufacture and sale of fireworks in Sivakasi so that the safety norms could be adopted in AP. This, he said, would help avoid recurrence of mishaps at the fireworks units claiming several lives.

The CM held the meeting in the backdrop of the recent blast at a fireworks unit at Vetlapalem in Samalkot mandal, East Godavari district, claiming 22 lives.

Naidu also called for improving the amenities at the RTC bus stations. Even if the bus services were good, the amenities like drinking water supply, toilets, fans as also maintenance of the sitting area needed improvement. He cited feedback about passengers’ dissatisfaction with regard to facilities at bus stations in Punganuru, Venkatagiri, Penukonda, Proddatur, Yemmiganur and Srikalahasthi.

He directed the officials to undertake repair works for the toilets in all the bus stations across the state and complete them expeditiously. There must be efforts to ensure out-sourcing services are of help to passengers.

The CM said, “From the time of reaching the bus station until the passengers reach their destination, their journey should be comfortable.”