8 years after death, Gujarat court orders Rs 5.76 lakh compensation to silicosis victim

By A Representative
In the first-ever claim filed for compensating the death of a silicosis patient, Rajubhai, a labour court in Anand, Central Gujarat, has ordered payment of Rs 5,76,400 under the Employees Compensation Act and fine of Rs 5,000 towards expenses.
Jagdish Patel of the People's Training and Research Centre (PTRC), which fought the case the family of the worker, said, "Rajubhai was an agate worker and worked for a local employer for 19 years. At our clinic, he was diagnosed of silicosis in 2010. He then stopped working."
Suggesting that it took eight years to get the justice, during which period not only Rajubhai died but other family family members as well, Patel said, "In 2011 Rajubhai filed the claim in Anand labour court. PTRC arranged the lawyer. In December 2011 Rajubhai passed away."
Patel further said, "His mother was then made legal heir but she too died of silicosis after few months. Then two of his younger brothers were added as claimants. One of them, Prakash, also died of silicosis in a few months. Fortunately Ajit, the younger son, never worked as an agate worker."

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