Official apathy? Flood-affected elderly man dies after losing home in Khammam

D Kotaiah had suffered a heart stroke as his house at Ganesh Nagar of Danavaigudem was damaged and his belongings were washed away by the floods

Khammam: A 70-year-old man, who suffered a heart stroke as his house was damaged due to the Munneru floods recently and did not receive any assistance from the State government, died in Khammam.

D Kotaiah had suffered a heart stroke as his house at Ganesh Nagar of Danavaigudem was damaged and his belongings were washed away by the floods. He died on Sunday while being treated at a hospital here as his health worsened.

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BRS city president Pagadala Nagaraju and former corporator Thota Rama Rao paid tributes to Kotaiah’s body on Monday. Rama Rao provided financial assistance of Rs.10,000 to the bereaved family. The leaders and the locals demanded the State government to support the family. Speaking to the media, Rama Rao said the reason why Kotaiah suffered a heart stroke was that his name was not included in the list of flood affected families by the revenue officials who carried out a survey to prepare a list of the affected families.

The officials did not inspect his damaged house, even as Kotaiah and his wife Shantamma pleaded with the officials to inspect their house. Thus the family was unable to receive the financial assistance of Rs 16,500 offered by the government.

Kotaiah’s house was submerged in the flood waters while the compound wall and bathroom collapsed. The death of Kotaiah was a murder committed by the government, Rama Rao noted, adding that the government should give Rs 2 lakh for fully damaged houses and Rs 1 lakh for partially damaged houses.

Nagaraju said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, ministers Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao had visited some of the flood affected areas but many of the affected families were not offered assistance. The government should respond to the woes of the families and include all those who were left out in the list of flood affected families; otherwise there was a danger of many losing their lives like Kotaiah. Rs 25 lakh should be given to the families that lost their family members due to floods, he noted.

A resident of Gagesh Nagar complained that the whole area was affected by the floods. The officials who visited Moti Nagar and other areas however, did not visit Ganesh Nagar. It was because of the support extended by charitable organisations and individuals that the affected families were able to overcome the loss they suffered, he added.