(a) whether accident in Baghdigi colliery was caused due to
negligence on the part of the Directorate General of Mines Safety;
(b) if so, the welfare measures taken by the Government for the
dependents of labourers killed in the said accident;
(c) whether the officials involved in safety lapses have been
identified; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and action taken against them?
MINISTER OF LABOUR (DR. SATYANARAYAN JATIYA)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.
STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 305 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 19/3/2001.
(a) to (d): After the Baghdigi colliery accident which took place
on 2.2.2001, the Ministry of Labour in exercise of the powers
conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 24 of the Mines Act, 1952 has
constituted a court of inquiry on 1.3.2001 under the Chairmanship of
Shri Justice Gurusharan Sharma, Judge, High Court of Jharkhand to
inquire into the causes and the circumstances attending the accident
and to fix responsibility for the causes leading to the accident. The
court of inquiry has been given 3 months to complete its work. Facts
regarding the reasons for the accident and the persons responsible for
safety lapses could be known only after the completion of the inquiry.
As far as the compensation for the dependents of the labourers
who died in said accident is concerned, the position is that besides
statutory compensation under Workman`s Compensation Act, it has been
decided that the following other payments/benefits given to the
dependants of the deceased:
- A job to a dependent in BCCL - Ex-gratia @ Rs.1.25 lakhs each - Gratuity and Provident Fund ranging from Rs.4.0 to 5.5 lakh - Payable family pension - Funeral expenses, adhoc payment and payable benevolent fund.