Failing to implement order on silicosis victims, Gujarat govt may withdraw compensation GR

An agate worker

By Rajiv Shah

After failing to implement its own government resolution (GR) on paying Rs 1 lakh as compensation to those who die because of silicosis, a deadly lungs disease which is common among agate polishing units in Khambhat town and taluka of Gujarat, the Gujarat government is now planning a new one to "amend" its error, which allowed insurance companies to cover only those under group insurance scheme who die in an accident. While nobody in the government has any idea of what this new GR would be and whether it would be able remove the "technical hitch" which supposedly is the chief reason why the year-old GR could not be put into action, voluntary organisations working with the silicosis victims believe, the year was "lost" because of official indifference.

Jagdish Patel of the People's Training and Research Centre (PTRC), Vadadara, which campaigns for the cause of agate workers as well as those who suffer from other occupational health diseases, says, "The initial happiness over the possibility that the agate workers would get the compensation faded very quickly. When the GR was out, we were glad that finally the government had recognised silicosis as a deadly disease whose victims must be compensated. We even represented to government officials to raise the compensation amount to Rs 3 lakh. We also wanted to ensure that the GR was implemented with effect from June 25, 2007, as promised in it. We simultaneously stressed on setting up facilities which would ensure silicosis disease doesn't grip workers."

However, Patel, whose PTRC has been campaigning for the cause of agate workers for the last two decades, regrets, soon found out that his efforts had come to a nought. "We first approached the rural labour commissioner to get the forms for compensation, as we were told that we would get it there. However, on reaching there we found out that the rural labour commissionerate may have been made in charge of the whole compensation process, but it has taken objection to it on several counts.We verified this from the labour secretary's office in Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar, but were told the matter would be resolved soon", Patel wrote in PTRC's mouthpiece "Salamati".

In the meantime, PTRC volunteers showed the GR to former labour minister veteran socialist Sanat Mehta, who on reading it said it was "bogus". Mehta gave following reasons for it: First, it was insurance based. Secondly, if there was insurance then there had to a premium, too. However, the GR made no mention of the premium, hence it was not implementable. The volunteers were also told that even if the government decided to pay the premium, the insurance company would be unwilling to pay, coming up with some explanation or the other. There had been cases when group insurance schemes were floated but nobody got any compensation. Often, huge bribe is demanded in case someone tries to apply for it.

Following the May 2012 GR, several agate workers, suffering from silicosis, died. The PTRC approached the families of the victims, and collected necessary documents in order to get the compensation. "Thereafter, we went to the labour office of Khambhat to get necessary forms to fill them up and send them for as claims for compensation. We were told that the form would be available not in Khambhat but another town, Anand. We went to Anand, and there the official told us that the GR is not clear about how to pay compensation. The official showed us al communique which allegedly clarified what he wanted to say", Patel said.

This official communique, written on July 7, 2012, had been written by member-secretary, Gujarat Rural Labour Welfare Board. Addressed to joint secretary, state labour and employment department, the communique, referring to another GR dated June 25, 2007, said that group insurance scheme for compensation against death could be paid only if there was accidental death. "Natural death as a result of a disease or suicide is not covered under it. This, we were told had been clarified from the insurance company as well, it was clarified", Patel said.

All of it prompted Patel to write a letter to the state labour secretary on January 1, 2013, which said, to quote Patel, "it is most unfortunate that the Gujarat government prepares its GRs without doing any homework. This raises questions about working of the government. There cannot be a much bigger example of this than the way the government has shown indifference towards health care of the working people. We had widely propagated your GR of May 2012, stating that compensation would be paid against silicosis death victims. It is natural that the families of those who died had some expectations. You may please tell them what they should do now."

When approached Patel about the latest position, this is what he told www.counterview.net, "I talked to the senior secretary in labour department and they told me that they are in the process of publishing a new resolution. Since the resolution in place is not implementable, not a single victim has been paid any relief amount as decided by the Gujarat government."

Comments

Gram sabha as reformer: Mandla’s quiet challenge to the liquor economy

By Raj Kumar Sinha* This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

From Kerala to Bangladesh: Lynching highlights deep social faultlines

By A Representative The recent incidents of mob lynching—one in Bangladesh involving a Hindu citizen and another in Kerala where a man was killed after being mistaken for a “Bangladeshi”—have sparked outrage and calls for accountability.

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

'Festive cheer fades': India’s housing market hits 17‑quarter slump, sales drop 16% in Q4 2025

By A Representative Housing sales across India’s nine major real estate markets fell to a 17‑quarter low in the October–December period of 2025, with overall absorption dropping 16% year‑on‑year to 98,019 units, according to NSE‑listed analytics firm PropEquity. This marks the weakest quarter since Q3 2021, despite the festive season that usually drives demand. On a sequential basis, sales slipped 2%, while new launches contracted by 4%.

Search This Blog