Hanur: Villagers of Sulwadi and Bidaralli  on Saturday remembered their seventeen fellow residents who died of temple prasada poisoning at Sulwadi Kichugutt Maramma Temple in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district on Dec.14 last year, which shook the State.

A total of 17 villagers, including women and children, had died and over a hundred people fell ill after consuming poisoned temple food on Dec.14, 2018.

The villagers paid tribute to the departed souls at a condolence meeting organised  by Martalli Gram Panchayat at Sri Brameshwaraswamy Temple in Sulwadi. Hundreds of villagers attended the meeting and paid their respects.

Speaking on the occasion, Hanur MLA R. Narendra assured that the temple, which has been shut since the incident last year, would be reopened for devotees as per their request.

Pointing out that compensation has been paid to the next of the kin of the victims and those who fell seriously ill in the tragedy, by both the State and Central Governments, Narendra said that land would be handed over to 58 homeless families once the formalities are completed.

He further said that the State Government has paid a compensation of Rs.5 lakh and the Union Government Rs.2 lakh to the families of each of the 17 victims, Rs.1 lakh each to 55 people who fell seriously ill, Rs.25,000 to each of the ten people who took ill, a total of Rs.8.25 lakh to ten persons under the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, Rs.1 lakh by the KPCC and benefits worth Rs.14.80 lakh to 38 families by Ambedkar Development Corporation.

Kollegal Bar Association President Mahadevu, Martalli GP President Savitri Bai, Member Ramalingam, DSS leaders Siddaraju, Mani and others were present.

Meanwhile, Chamarajanagar District in-Charge Minister S. Suresh Kumar too remembered the Sulwadi Temple tragedy victims at Chamarajanagar and assured help to their families.

Pointing out that the Government was committed to allotting two acres of land to the families of the 17 victims who died in the tragedy, as assured by the previous Coalition Government, the Minister asserted that the Government will provide advanced medical treatment to the victims who are still suffering from the effects of Temple food poisoning.