Hyderabad, Sep 23 (IANS): The death of a woman at Ameerpet Metro Station on Sunday has raised questions about the quality of works of Hyderabad Metro Rail, senior Congress leader M. Shashidhar Reddy on Monday said.
A 26-year-old woman was killed when a chunk of mortar from Ameerpet Metro Station peeled off and fell on her head. K. Mounika along with her cousin had taken shelter from rain under the station building after getting down at the same station.
Shashidhar Reddy demanded a thorough probe into the incident and said based on the report strict action should be taken against those found guilty.
Former vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said the metro station pillars peeling off raised doubts on the quality of the work. He wanted minister for urban development K. T. Rama Rao to make all the details public.
"What is the guarantee that such an incident will not happen again," he asked.
Cracks at a few places at Metro Station at Rasoolpura have also led to safety concerns among the commuters.
Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders taking shelter under the elevated Metro is a common sight during rains.
Meanwhile, Rama Rao termed the accident at Ameerpet metro station as unfortunate. He directed NVS Reddy, Managing Director, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) to get the matter thoroughly investigated by independent engineering experts and take required remedial measures.
KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, also directed that all the station structures and facilities would be minutely checked, so that such incidents do not recur. He tweeted that the reputation gained by Hyderabad Metro is high quality and safety standards shall be maintained and safety shall be a high priority.
Meanwhile, leaders of opposition parties claimed that the L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased woman though they demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation.
The company also said it would provide another Rs 15 lakh from insurance company and job to a family member.
Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) leader M. Kodandaram, who held talks with the HMRL officials on behalf of the family of the deceased woman, demanded a thorough probe into the accident.