BHUBANESWAR: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued notice to the State government in connection with the fire mishap at JSW Bhusan Power and Steel Ltd plant in Jharsuguda where four contractual labourers had sustained burn injuries during their duty hours in March.
Acting on a petition filed by one of the injured labourers Anjan Oram, the ST panel has directed the Chief Secretary and DGP to submit a comprehensive action taken report on the allegations within 15 days of the receipt of the notice.
On 11 March, four labourers - Karan Oram, Nilamani Oram, Anjan and Ashok Dhurua, all residents of Titeimal village under Bhalaida Panchayat of Jharsuguda district had gone to work at the JSW BPSL. On the same night, there was a blast in the plant, which inflicted burn injuries of varying degrees on the four workers. While one labourer had received 80 per cent (pc) injury, another suffered 30 pc and two others had around 10 pc injury. They were threatened not to file any complaint on the incident, the petitioner alleged.
After receiving primary treatment at the plant dispensary, two of them were sent to the Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela and two others to VIMSAR, Burla. State BJP Secretary Tankadhar Tripathy alleged JSW BPSL has not yet provided any compensation to the injured labourers.
Even after a month of the mishap, the district administration has neither taken any action nor any complaint has been lodged with the police. The contractors who engaged them in the plant also did not come to their rescue, he added. The commission has warned to issue summons for personal appearance if no reply is received within the stipulated time.