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

India's chemical industry: The missing piece of Atmanirbhar Bharat

By N.S. Venkataraman* Rarely a day passes without the Prime Minister or a cabinet minister speaking about the importance of Atmanirbhar Bharat . The Start-up India scheme is a pillar in promoting this vision, and considerable enthusiasm has been reported in promoting start-up projects across the country. While these developments are positive, Atmanirbhar Bharat does not seem to have made significant progress within the Indian chemical industry . This is a matter of high concern that needs urgent and dispassionate analysis.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Remembering a remarkable rebel: Personal recollections of Comrade Himmat Shah

By Rajiv Shah I first came in contact with Himmat Shah in the second half of the 1970s during one of my routine visits to Ahmedabad , my maternal hometown. I do not recall the exact year, but at that time I was working in Delhi with the CPI -owned People’s Publishing House (PPH) as its assistant editor, editing books and writing occasional articles for small periodicals. Himmatbhai — as I would call him — worked at the People’s Book House (PBH), the CPI’s bookshop on Relief Road in Ahmedabad.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

As 2024 draws nearer, threatening signs appear of more destructive wars

By Bharat Dogra The four years from 2020 to 2023 have been very difficult and high risk years for humanity. In the first two years there was a pandemic and such severe disruption of social and economic life that countless people have not yet recovered from its many-sided adverse impacts. In the next two years there were outbreaks of two very high-risk wars which have worldwide implications including escalation into much wider conflicts. In addition there were highly threatening signs of increasing possibility of other very destructive wars. As the year 2023 appears to be headed for ending on a very grim note, there are apprehensions about what the next year 2024 may bring, and there are several kinds of fears. However to come back to the year 2020 first, the pandemic harmed and threatened a very large number of people. No less harmful was the fear epidemic, the epidemic of increasing mental stress and the cruel disruption of the life and livelihoods particularly among the weaker s...

Muslim women’s rights advocates demand criminalisation of polygamy: Petition launched

By A Representative An online petition seeking a legal ban on polygamy has been floated by Javed Anand, co-editor of Sabrang and National Convener of Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), inviting endorsements from citizens, organisations and activists. The petition, titled “Indian Muslims & Secular Progressive Citizens Demand a Legal Ban on Polygamy,” urges the Central and State governments, Parliament and political parties to abolish polygamy through statutory reform, backed by extensive data from the 2025 national study conducted by the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA).

Farewell to Robin Smith, England’s Lionhearted Warrior Against Pace

By Harsh Thakor* Robin Smith, who has died at the age of 62, was among the most adept and convincing players of fast bowling during an era when English cricket was in decline and pace bowling was at its most lethal. Unwavering against the tormenting West Indies pace attack or the relentless Australians, Smith epitomised courage and stroke-making prowess. His trademark shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a scourge of opponents. Wearing a blue England helmet without a visor or grille, he relished pulling, hooking and cutting the quicks.

Search This Blog