NHRC issues show cause notice to Jharkhand Chief Secretary on payment of monetary relief to victims of silicosis

 

NHRC issues show cause notice to Jharkhand Chief Secretary on payment of monetary relief to victims of silicosis

New Delhi, July 10th, 2012

The National Human Rights Commission has served show cause notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand as to why the next of kin of the twenty two workers who died of silicosis be not recommended monetary relief. The Commission's directions have come in the wake of material on record indicating that the enforcement agencies of Jharkhand have not taken proper steps for eradication of silicosis which is caused by inhaling of silica dust resulting in death of these persons. 

The Commission has also asked the State Government to submit a report about the action taken regarding medical treatment and rehabilitation of workers who are suffering from silicosis and are alive. The complainant Samit Kumar Carr has also been asked to submit a list of silicosis affected workers to the Commission and to the office of the Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand within four weeks. The Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand has been given eight weeks time to respond. 

It may be recalled that on the 22nd May, 2011, the Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand appeared before the Commission. He claimed that there was no certifying surgeon available in the State of Jharkhand for diagnosis of the ailment of silicosis. He was handed over the report of Deputy Secretary dated the 18th May, 2011 containing the letter of Deputy Secretary, East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur dated the 17th May, 2012 which was addressed to the Principal Secretary, Jharkhand, Ranchi. It was mentioned in the letter that a team of doctors was constituted in the chairmanship of District Mining Officer in which six persons were found suffering from Pneumoniosis. 

Apart from it, the complainant Samit Kumar Carr in his letter dated the 4th June, 2012 submitted that 22 persons who died because of Silicosis and the death was certified by chest specialist ILO and WHO trained doctors of dust diseases by doing ILO rating of X-Ray plates of ESI Hospital, West Bengal/Mehar Bhai Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Jamshedpur. According to the complainant, these workers were working with K.K. Minerals but M/s. K.K. Minerals has been closed because Pollution Control Board has not given NOC to them. He has also enclosed the report of Dr. Kunal Kumar Datta, Administrative Medical Officer, Directorate of ESI (MB), West Bengal, Calcutta dated the 5th June, 2008 and another report of the same hospital dated the 28th April, 2008. These reports indicate that these 22 persons died of Silicosis or Silico Tuberculosis.