Industrial Exhibition To Remain Closed For 3 Days

The famous annual industrial exhibition (Numaish) of Hyderabad will remain closed for 2-3 days due to the fire accident on Wednesday, according to Exhibition Society President and former minister Etela Rajender.

Speaking to mediapersons today, Rajendar expressed grief at the incident. He said that though fire engines had rushed to the spot as fast as possible and put out the raging flames, the time taken for them to arrive had caused significant loss, and some 300 stalls were reduced to ashes. He said that he had asked to know the cause of the inferno, and that the loss was yet to be estimated and a report would be coming by the evening.

The exhibition would need to remain closed for the brief period for restoration of normalcy on the premises, and the Exhibition Society would take a call on extending the exhibition by a few more days to make up, he added. He also said that the necessary help would be extended to the victims of the accident, and that an announcement on the compensation to the affected stall owners would be made after the receipt of the report on damage assessment. The damage assessment, which will be carried out by a 15-member committee comprising of Revenue Division Officers (RDOs) from Hyderabad, is expected to be completed by Friday. Efforts would also be made to reconstruct the damaged stalls free of cost, Rajender said.

Meanwhile, BJP Telangana president Dr K Laxman demanded that the state government come to the rescue of the victims of the accident. He also demanded that the government order a judicial inquiry into the issue. He said that it was unfortunate that the management of the Exhibition Society had taken unilateral decisions over the safety and security of the people at the venue without consulting local public representatives on the issue. He also said that it was shocking that the society had allowed the shops without insuring them.

The society members told the BJP delegation that they had adhered to all government rules and had paid the requisite fee to the fire and other departments of the state for taking up safety and security measures, but the BJP leaders still found fault with them, and demanded that the society members pay compensation to the victims, and warned them of a state-wide agitation if they did not. They also demanded that the government relocate the Exhibition Grounds to a far better place with a vast ground.

Laxman also said that he was astonished that the society had allowed a shop over a temple located on the grounds without considering the sentiments of the Hindus. And BJP floor leader in the Assembly Raja Singh claimed that he had already raised the issue of the safety and security of the visitors in the Assembly earlier, but in vain.

Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali also visited the Exhibition Grounds and took stock of the situation.