Taking cognizance over the research report on Silicosis the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has started enquiry from the departments concerned.
Notably, the MPHRC conducted a mini research in Multanpur village of Mandsaur district under summer internship programme.
In the report of the research the number of people affected with Silicosis was found much higher besides plight of the laborers and other anomalies were also found, in view of this the Commission taking cognizance started enquiry from the departments concerned.
The Commission has sought information over the issue from Principal Secretary (PS) — Public Health and Family Welfare and PS — labor Department while it has sought reply from Collector Mandsaur, labor Officer and Workman Fund Board (WFB) on many issues, while the commission has also sought information from Collector Shivpuri over cases of Silicosis in view of the incidences of disease reported from there.
The points on which Commission has asked the collectors to submit reply include how many laborers are working in their respective districts factories, how many of them are suffering with Silicosis, how many silicosis deaths have been reported till now, how much compensation and to how many people have been given till now, how many person are being treated free of cost by WFB and when are the affected persons checkup is done.
The Commission took cognizance because it has been found in the report that only `1200 per month are given to the Silicosis affected persons. This is not enough for livelihood of their families. Most of the laborers are not even getting minimum wages and they are getting just `3 per box.
Most of the laborers are deprived of treatment, there is no arrangement of toilets for women laborers and the toilets are constructed by taking money from laborers only. There is no regular arrangement for the medical checkup of laborers.
Masks provided to the laborers are of poor quality and there is no arrangement for ventilation of air in the Pencil factories and wherever exhaust fans are installed they have been installed by taking money from the laborers.