Gujarat High Court directs State to revise policy on silicosis compensation and rehabilitation

By A Representative

In a significant ruling on August 1, 2025, the Gujarat High Court pulled up the State Government for delays and inadequacies in implementing the Supreme Court’s directions regarding compensation and rehabilitation for silicosis victims. The court ordered the Principal Secretary of the Labour and Employment Department to modify the existing government resolution dated March 11, 2024, to ensure full compliance with the Apex Court's decisions and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommendations.

The case was brought by the People's Training and Research Centre and other petitioners, representing victims and families of deceased workers affected by silicosis, a fatal occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The petitioners highlighted that the State had failed to implement the Supreme Court’s judgment dated April 11, 2017, in W.P.(C) No. 110 of 2006, which mandated compensation of ₹3 lakh (₹1 lakh direct payment and ₹2 lakh in fixed deposits) to the next of kin of silicosis victims, along with broader rehabilitation measures.

The Gujarat Government, in response, submitted that it had issued a new resolution on March 11, 2024, under which ₹4 lakh compensation was provided, but the court found that this was not in line with the Supreme Court's directive. The court also noted that several applications were rejected or not processed due to an arbitrary 90-day limit for filing claims, which the bench termed "practically not feasible" and lacking in social sensitivity.

In the oral order, Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal observed:

“There is a substantial delay on the part of the officers of the State in effective implementation of the directions of the Apex Court… Moreover, the timeline of 90 days for moving such an application is practically not feasible and it seems that there has been no application of mind to the recommendation for increasing the timeline.”

The court further emphasized that:

“The Government resolution dated 11.03.2024 does not provide for rehabilitation of the victims, which has resulted in rejection of the applications of some of the beneficiaries petitioners herein.”

Accordingly, the court directed:

“The Principal Secretary, Department of Labour and Employment to look into the matter and take effective steps for bringing suitable modifications / amendments / substitution of the Government resolution dated 11.03.2024 so as to set in place the policy for rehabilitation of the affected workers with the disease ‘Silicosis’ and to provide adequate compensations to the kins of the deceased.”

The claims of all petitioners in the present case, many of which were rejected for being filed beyond the limitation period or for lack of policy covering affected living workers, are to be freshly considered. The Chief Labour Commissioner has been tasked with ensuring the applications are processed in accordance with revised norms.

An affidavit detailing the steps taken must be submitted before the next hearing on August 29, 2025.

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.

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.

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.

Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront under scrutiny after Subhash Bridge damage

By Rosamma Thomas* Large cracks have appeared on Subhash Bridge across the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, close to the Gandhi Ashram . Built in 1973, this bridge, named after Subhash Chandra Bose , connects the eastern and western parts of the city and is located close to major commercial areas. The four-lane bridge has sidewalks for pedestrians, and is vital for access to Ashram Road , Ellis Bridge , Gandhinagar and the Sabarmati Railway Station .

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...

No action yet on complaint over assault on lawyer during Tirunelveli public hearing

By A Representative A day after a detailed complaint was filed seeking disciplinary action against ten lawyers in Tirunelveli for allegedly assaulting human rights lawyer Dr. V. Suresh, no action has yet been taken by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, according to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

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 ...

Search This Blog