NEW DELHI: Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Tuesday said that safety of mine workers is the highest priority of the government.
The minister was speaking at the inauguration of the 12th National Conference on Safety in Mines. “The ministry has introduced Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code which has made provisions for annual health check up of mine workers and safety standards for all the sectors including mines, factory and construction,” he said. Saying that the mining sector provides employment to almost 10 lakh people and contributes around 2.6 per cent to the GDP, Gangwar expressed hope that the conference would come out with suggestions on mine workers’ safety in an ever-changing scenario post-globalisation.