Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the families of seven persons killed in a car accident near Peramana village in Sangam mandal of SPSR Nellore district on Wednesday in SPSR Nellore district on Wednesday. However, the CPM and YSRCP leaders demanded ₹25 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

Minister for MA&UD Ponguru Narayana, Minister for Endowments Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and Kovur MLA Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy thanked the Chief Minister for announcing immediate financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

Meanwhile, family members of Sesham Seramma and Sesham Balavengayya, who died in the accident, staged a protest with the bodies at Muthukur Centre on Thursday. They demanded that the government to take action against those responsible for the road accident and provide an ex gratia of ₹25 lakh to the family members of each deceased.

CPI(M) City Secretary Kathi Srinivasulu, along with other leaders Kayambu Srinivasulu and T.V.V. Prasad, also demanded the same to the government. Accusing the TDP leaders Ravindra Reddy and Bujjayiah Naidu of involving in illegal sand mining, YSRCP leaders Kakani Govardhan Reddy and Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy questioned the inaction against them.

After paying tributes to the deceased and offering condolences to the families of the victims at Gurralamadugu Sangam, Mr. Govardhan Reddy said: “It is unfortunate that seven people died in a road accident because of the government negligence. They died when a tipper lorry overloaded with sand collided with their car at high speed on the wrong route.”

“Though many lives were lost due to illegal transport of sand and gravel, the district authorities are not paying any attention. The ruling party leaders are illegally transporting sand and selling it at higher rates. Recently, when water was released from Somasila dam, tractors that were illegally transporting sand from Viruvur reach got stuck in the water,” he said.

The YSRCP leader further said: “The SP should take strict action against those who are carrying out illegal sand and gravel mining in the district. The police should conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation and punish those responsible severely. A case should be registered not only against the driver, but also against the vehicle owner who was transporting the sand.”