The Odisha Government is out to tighten the noose around Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL) which is seeking renewal of its licence for its operational unit at Dhenkanal plant. One from the top management will be asked to be the occupier of the unit, not an employee.
While the licence of the first unit is due to expire on December 30, sources said the Factories and Boilers Directorate as well as the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) have taken a view that the existing occupier of the unit will not be given operational licence and the reason is, the same person was named occupier of the second blast furnace which met with an accident in November.
The man in question is facing a non-bailable warrant for not appearing before a local court of Dhenkanal.
“How can the same person be given the operational licence after all this has happened? We have to change the way industries have been eschewing responsibility on their employees so that better accountability can be brought about,” said sources in the Industries department.
In fact, the BSL will require its operational permission from January 1 to run its plant, but its management is reportedly insistent on the fact that the existing occupier be given the permits. The Factories and Boilers Directorate and the SPCB, however, want the norms to be changed for good.
In fact, the Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd at Sambalpur was asked to do the same and its board nominated a senior management person as the occupier following which the licence was sanctioned.
The Government, in fact, wants to follow this uniform norm for all the industries which have put up shop in the State. Two other industries were refused operational licence by the Factories and Boilers for similar reasons, sources said.
An explosion in BSL’s second blast furnace, which was not licensed, had claimed three lives and left several others injured in November.