Andhra Pradesh CM Reddy visits riot-hit Bhainsa

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy visited the riot hit town of Bhainsa on Thursfday and near by Vatoli village in Adilabad district, six days after communal violence had flared up there leaving ten people dead and dozens of shops and houses looted and burnt.

While Reddy was generous in announcing compensation for a family burnt to death in Vattoli village, assuring the survivors of an ex gratia of Rs 30 lakh and three government jobs, for the victims of Bhainsa he brought little cheer.

He told the people in Bhainsa town that the families of the four victims will get a compensation of Rs five lakh each only if they are proved innocent after the investigations. "If they are found to be involved in the violence, the government will not be responsible for their families," Reddy said.

The police said that four persons had died in violence but the families of at least two victims claimed that they were killed in police firing when they were trying to save their shops.

During his visit to Vatoli village, the CM also announced that the three survivors of the family of Mahbub Khan will be provided government jobs.

He asked the people of Vatoli not to fear any thing and extend their full cooperation in the investigations. "The government will not allow the guilty to escape. They will be brought to book and stringent punishment will be given to them," Reddy said.

Reddy admitted that if the police had been a little more cautious, the Vattoli incident could have been averted. He asked the police officials to be on a high alert and not to allow such incidents to recur.

The CM called the violence in Bhainsa and Vattoli as a "matter of shame for the civilized society" and promised several measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Reddy announced that Bhainsa will be upgraded to a sub divisional headquarters of the police and will have senior police officials on permanent basis in view of its sensitive nature.

Condoling the families of the victims of violence and those who lost their homes and the source of livelihood, the CM assured them that the government will come to their help.

Reddy announced that by coming Sunday, curfew will be lifted completely from Bhainsa and families holding ration cards would be provided with ration and other essential commodities free of cost.