Owners of 300 stalls at Numaish to get up to 50 percent compensation

​Hyderabad: With over 300 shops reduced to ashes in the powerful blaze that ripped through Numaish on Wednesday night, the management of the Exhibition Society announced on Thursday that compensation would be paid upon assessment of the damage and steps taken to rope in insurance players for covering any such mishaps in future.

Earlier, many of the distraught traders protested vehemently for alleged lack of fire safety measures on the premises hosting one of India’s longest, largest and finest shows. In all, 120 of the disappointed stall owners are from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, it was their protests that drew a positive response from the management of the Exhibition Society.

The shop owners who had lost most of their property in the fire accident gave vent to their anger at the exhibition society for its alleged failure in taking adequate fire safety measures and demanded compensation.

They poured out their woes, saying they have lost everything, including money and their means of livelihoods due to the incident. Some of the affected traders said they had taken loans to set up the stalls. Officials said 300 shops, mainly those dealing in clothes, plastic and dry fruits, were reduced to ashes in the fire attributed to short-circuit in one of the stalls.

Interestingly, it was also found that the society had even allowed the setting up of a stall covering a small temple on the premises. Even this stall was destroyed in the fire. Although the traders had paid huge amounts towards fire safety, the fire engine that was available faced problems as it did not have adequate water facility, it was alleged.

Mild tension prevailed when the disappointed traders, along with their family members, protested in front of the Nampally Exhibition Society office. They alleged that the society members did not take proper safety measures. The management did not participate in the rescue operations, they claimed.

Former minister and president of the Exhibition Society E Rajender said that starting next year an insurance scheme would be introduced to safeguard the financial interests of traders in case any mishaps. The society, in consultation with insurance agencies, would work out the modalities for payment of insurance money.

He mentioned that the exhibition (which was ordered closed till Friday) would reopen on Saturday for the public. Exhibition Society president E Rajendar said that the society would provide compensation to traders who had lost their stalls in the blaze.

This includes refund of registration fee, financial compensation, and extension of the exhibition period for public view by another two weeks. He said that the quantum of compensation would be decided upon assessment of damage.

A 15-member committee, headed by an RDO, is assessing the damage. The report is expected to be submitted to the society in one or two days. Based on the report, traders would be compensated at least up to 50 per cent of the loss, he said.

The steady flow of leaders from all parties since dawn to console the traders gradually turned into a high-voltage political drama at the exhibition grounds later in the day. BJP state president K Laxman, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikaramarka, TDP state unit president L Ramana, CPI leader CH Venkat Reddy and BJP city MLA Raja Singh spoke to the victims and expressed their solidarity with them.

Two persons, who were admitted to hospital on Wednesday due to suffocation after thick smoke engulfed the area, have been discharged, officials said. Fire-fighting teams, along with 12 fire tenders and as many water tankers, put out the blaze with assistance from personnel belonging to the disaster response force of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, they said.

- Y Yanadi Reddy