Sigachi Industries refutes reactor blast as cause of tragedy, confirms 40 dead and 33 injured
The company noted that, since the time of the incident, it has been coordinating emergency response efforts, providing support to affected families, and cooperating fully with ongoing investigations and compliance requirements.
'Sigachi Industries Ltd has committed to providing an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of the deceased. Those injured will receive full medical care and rehabilitation support,' the statement added.
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Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
‘TelanganaRising 2047' to prioritise medical tourism
Hyderabad: Medical tourism will be categorised as a priority sector in the 'TelanganaRising 2047' vision document, which is currently being drafted by the state government. This will be in sync with the status achieved by Hyderabad as a centre of excellence in medical care, which is evidenced by the fact that patients from other countries are coming to the city for their treatment. This announcement was made by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy after inaugurating the new AIG Hospitals at Banjara Hills here on Wednesday. The TelanganaRising vision document will endeavour to develop Hyderabad as the country's hub of medical and health tourism, he said, exuding confidence. Stating that the government is moving forward with plans to provide free medical care and quality education to the poor, Reventh Reddy pointed out that they have already earmarked Rs 11,500 crore towards development of the medical sector and Rs 21,500 crore for education in the current financial year. Free medical treatment is already being provided to the poor for up to Rs 10 lakh treatment. Noted doctor Nori Dattatreya has been appointed as a cancer care consultant to the government, he said. Listing out initiatives taken by the government to strengthen medical care, the Chief Minister said that unlike the family doctor system of the earlier days, specialist doctor services are now in high demand. Government hospitals are coming up in different parts of the state, while works for the new Osmania general hospital (OGH) are progressing at a brisk pace, he said. Once completed, OGH will have an additional 7000 beds, he added. He reiterated that government hospitals should strive to compete with corporate hospitals, including in providing quality services. Doctors should serve in government hospitals for at least one month as a moral social responsibility, he said. Revanth Reddy said that there was a need to take more precautions to prevent health problems. To facilitate this, the government is planning to create a health profile card for women in self-help groups. Exhorting AIG Hospitals Chairman Dr. Nageshwar Reddy to join as a partner of the government in their quest to bolster medical and health sectors, Revanth Reddy said that it was a matter of pride that patients from 66 countries come to AIG Hospitals for treatment. Dr Nageshwar Reddy has brought laurels to Hyderabad and Telangana and deserves the Bharat Ratna honour, the Chief Minister said and added that he would pursue the issue with the Centre. As Hyderabad has emerged as the global hub of IT and emerging healthcare services providers, they were in talks with the Union Government to increase direct flight connectivity between Middle East nations and Hyderabad, the Chief Minister said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Lives shattered: Telangana factory blast leaves trail of grief in Odisha
1 2 3 4 Balasore/Kendrapada: In the quiet village of Erabanka in Jajpur district, Sanjukta Sahu sits motionless, tears streaming down her face. Her son, 30-year-old Dolagobinda, will never return home from his job at Sigachi pharmaceutical factory in Telangana. "We are facing an uphill task after my son's death," she manages to say, her voice barely a whisper. The devastating explosion that rocked the Pashamylaram industrial area has left multiple families across different states grappling with unbearable loss. Among them is the family of Rajanala Jagan Mohan, a 55-year-old accounts officer from Chhatrapur, Ganjam, who had dedicated over two decades to the company. His son, R. Sai Yashwanth, recalls the horror of finding only his father's charred remains at the blast site. Another heart-wrenching story is that of 47-year-old Manoj Rout from Balasore, who had just returned home on leave but was urgently called back to duty. His family could only identify his body through a ring on his finger. His wife now faces the daunting task of raising their two young sons, aged five and ten, alone. The tragedy has also claimed the life of 20-year-old Lagnajeet Duari from Cuttack's Tigiria area, who had taken up the job to support his family. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Aged 50-85 With No Life Insurance Could Get This Reassured Get Quote Undo "We had dreams for him, but everything is shattered now," says his father, Manas Duari, fighting back tears. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Samir Padhy from Baharapur fights for his life in a Hyderabad hospital's ICU with 35% burn injuries. His brother-in-law, Papu Kumar Choudhury, who witnessed the explosion, describes the terrifying sequence of events. "Thick smoke engulfed the area within minutes, trapping several workers inside," he said. Nineteen-year-old Neelambar Batra from Nabarangpur district who narrowly escaped death, described the horrifying moments when the blast ripped through the pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing plant. "I had just started my shift at the powder-making unit when a massive explosion shook the plant. Within seconds, everything around me was blown apart," he recalled, his voice trembling as he spoke from his hospital bed over phone. The young worker, who hails from Bualiguda village under Jharigaon block, had migrated to Telangana just three months ago with four others, lured by the promise of Rs 700 per day for 12-hour shifts. "I feel lucky to have escaped with facial injuries, but I just want to return home and never work here again," said Batra, who is slowly recovering. Another youth from Batra's village, Chitrasen Bhadra, is currently undergoing treatment at Druva Hospital, Patancheru. As families perform last rites and communities mourn their losses, questions about industrial safety standards and workers' protection loom large. The tragedy has not only claimed lives but has also left behind grieving families, truncated dreams, and communities struggling to come to terms with their devastating losses. The Telangana government has provided initial compensation of Rs 1 lakh to affected families, but for many, like Sarbani, Dolagobinda's 24-year-old sister who remains in shock and unable to speak, no amount of money can fill the void left by their loved ones.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
PGI's healing scam survived even on dead patients
1 2 Chandigarh: In a scandal that has sent shockwaves through the corridors of PGIMER, Chandigarh, an internal inquiry has exposed a multi-crore financial fraud involving hospital staff, vendors, and possibly senior officials. Over Rs 1.14 crore, earmarked for the treatment of impoverished and critically ill patients, was allegedly siphoned off under the guise of government welfare schemes. The funds—meant to be lifelines for the most vulnerable—came from prestigious sources like the Prime Minister's Office, Ambedkar Foundation, Hans Culture Society, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN), and various NGOs. Instead, they were rerouted into fake accounts, manipulated bills, and ghost patients. This crucial information has been furnished as part of the PGI's inquiry report, obtained through RTI (a copy of which is with the TOI) by Ashwani Kumar Munjal, chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), PGI. Munjal pointed out significant flaws in the report, alleging deliberate attempts to shield higher-ranking officers. He revealed the initial resistance faced in accessing the report, saying the CPIO, vigilance cell, initially refused to provide a copy of the enquiry report, citing "frivolous and baseless" pleas, despite a precedent set by a CIC judgment from 2008. It was only after a first appeal was filed with the chief vigilance officer, PGI, on May 24, that an order was issued to release the report, which was finally received on July 1. Munjal asserts that the Rs 1.14 crore identified is merely "the tip of the iceberg," as many fake documents used to siphon off money were entered manually, with no online data created for these patients, and the manual files subsequently "lost." The internal committee, led by Prof Arun Kumar Aggarwal, documented a systematic pattern of fraud spanning from 2017 to 2021. The misappropriated funds were intended to provide critical support to the sickest patients. Preliminary findings indicate that corrupt activities began as early as 2017, with 70 cases of financial irregularities identified in addition to 11 initial ones. Munjal questions the inexplicable ignorance of officers in the private grant cell or accounts branch, raising "serious doubts" about potential connivance. Further concerns arise from the delay in constituting the enquiry committee, which took over three months, on Feb 9, 2023, and its shocking six-month inaction before holding its first meeting on Oct 5, 2023. The report offers no explanation for these significant delays. Adding to the controversy, five accused individuals, including one in the private grant cell, continued working at PGI until the report's finalisation. One regular officer implicated was even permitted to retire on Dec 31, 2020, despite indications of fraud continuing post-2020. According to the detailed report, officials and clerical staff transferred funds to fake beneficiaries, manipulated bills, and routed payments without any medical prescriptions or valid patient records. Among the major highlights of the alleged fraud, a staggering Rs 38,00,946 (61.5%) out of Rs 61,75,000 received from Rastriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) was siphoned off. This included fraudulent withdrawals of Rs 27,66,355 in the names of three deceased patients. Demands were raised and manual supply orders issued without treating doctors' prescriptions. In a particularly alarming case, Rs 90,000 earmarked for a cancer patient was transferred directly into a hospital attendant's bank account, while further investigations showed that in several cases money continued to be drawn in the name of patients who had already died. Under the rare diseases scheme alone, Rs 38 lakh meant to provide life-saving treatments was funnelled into vendor accounts without a single doctor's prescription or patient visit being recorded. The committee also found 70 more cases from Sept 2017 to Oct 2021, totalling Rs 50,11,276, paid to firms without patients even visiting PGI. Funds were released by the accounts branch based on manual supply orders without medical prescriptions or valid patient records. Furthermore, Rs 19,00,759 was fraudulently withdrawn in 11 cases, transferred to individuals falsely identified as "dependent" relatives or spouses, including PGI staff. Software data related to these cases mysteriously vanished, and all 11 case files went missing, strongly suggesting "foul play and connivance of higher officers." Another Rs 50 lakh was paid out to pharmaceutical and supply vendors against requests for medicines and treatment supplies which patients never even received or requested. Bills were found to be deliberately manipulated, with at least one payment of Rs 62,000 made twice under two different patient records. In total, the enquiry flagged 103 separate cases of financial fraud, while original patient files for at least 37 patients went missing from the private grant cell's records, suggesting systematic evidence destruction. Among those named in the report are a retired junior administrative assistant, several lower division clerks, a data entry operator, and outside collaborators, including the owner of a medical store and his business partner. The official spokesperson for PGI confirmed, "The case related to the private grant cell at PGIMER has been formally handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the vigilance department. The CBI has since taken charge, and the investigation is currently in progress. Meanwhile, the directives issued by the vigilance department are being duly implemented by the private grant cell." Unanswered questions: Rs 19L transferred to non-beneficiaries | An amount of Rs 19,00,759 was fraudulently withdrawn in 11 cases, with funds transferred to individuals falsely identified as dependents or spouses, including PGI staff. Software data related to these cases mysteriously vanished, and all 11 case files went missing, strongly suggesting "foul play and connivance of higher officers." Only a fraction (Rs 2,91,839) has been recovered. Rastriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) siphoned | Out of Rs 61,75,000 received from RAN, a staggering Rs 38,00,946 (61.5%) was siphoned off. This included fraudulent withdrawals of Rs 27,66,355 in the names of three deceased patients. Demands were raised without treating doctors' prescriptions, and manual supply orders were issued. Scams in 4 years | 70 more cases of scams from Sept 2017 to Oct 2021, totalling Rs 50,11,276 paid to firms without patients even visiting PGI. The modus operandi involved raising manual supply orders without prescriptions and approval by the incharge private grant cell, with funds released by the accounts branch. Utilisation certificates for 69 cases, with copies of original bills from vendors, were sent to funding agencies, despite the alleged fraud.
