The Odisha Government on Thursday shunted Secretary to Labour and Employees State Insurance Department C T M Suguna to wriggle out of an embarrassing situation over the November 13 Bhushan Steel Ltd (BSL) mishap, which claimed two lives and left at least 30 workers injured. The face saving move to transfer Suguna comes in the wake of outbursts of Labour and Employees State Insurance Minister Bijayshree Routray over the state of affairs in the department. The Minister, however, kept mum on the matter. “The Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary did what they felt was right,” he said.
The 1989 batch IAS officer has been posted as Commissioner of Consolidation. Secretary, Forest and Environment department, R K Sharma, will remain in additional charge of Labour and ESI department.
After the explosion in the BSL facility, Routray, also the Forest and Environment Minister, had gone on record saying he wanted actions against certain officers, but was facing opposition which had brought to the fore the chasm between him and the bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Pollution Control Board (OPCB) has filed a case against the company before the Dhenkanal Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), which took cognisance of the matter and issued a summons to BSL. Advocate for the Board S K Mishra said the SDJM has directed the company, represented by Executive Vice-President Rahul Sengupta, Chief Operating Officer Atulya Kumar Verma and Senior GM Dr Ram Mohan Sharma, to appear on February 4, 2014.
The case has been filed for violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 since the company only had the consent to establish, not consent, to operate.
On Thursday, the District Collector shut down the rolling mill and power plant and sealed off the premises basing on the Board’s order.