World Notes SOVIET UNION

Two years after Reactor No. 4 spewed fatal clouds of radiation from the Chernobyl power station, the Soviet public was jolted last week by another blast. The Communist Party daily Pravda charged that sloppy workmanship, mismanagement and lax safety standards -- the very conditions blamed for causing the accident that claimed 31 lives -- continue to plague the Chernobyl complex. Fumed the newspaper: "It is as though there hasn't been an accident."

Pravda's vitriol was aimed at Kombinat, the organization that oversees cleanup and safety maintenance at Chernobyl. Workers were scolded for drunkenness, thievery and inadequate discipline, while Kombinat officials were criticized for nepotism and negligence. The newspaper said that Kombinat Director Yevgeni Ignatenko had been reprimanded and had left his post.