DG of Mines Safety to be roped in to combat accidents in M’laya
SHILLONG: In the wake of continued death of labourers in mine disasters in the State, the State Labour department has written to the Union Ministry of Labour to avail the services of the Directorate General of Mines Safety.
The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) is a specialized Government Regulatory agency that looks after safety procedures in mines. Meghalaya, till date, does not have agency to look after the safety aspect in mines spread across the State.
The decision to avail the services of the DGMS is in accordance with the State Mining Policy which says that all accident related cases in coal mines would be handled by Director General of Mines Safety.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Sunday, Principal Secretary, Labour Department MS Rao said that all such cases are investigated by the Labour Department and have been registered under the Employees’ Compensation Act.
Asked if any action can be taken against such coal mines where no safety precautions are followed, Rao said the only action would include closure of the coal mines falling under the jurisdiction of the Mining Department.
Meanwhile, sources have informed that Deputy Labour Inspector, East Jaintia Hills, S Lamin, has prepared and submitted a report to the district Deputy Commissioner on the recently coal mine tragedy where five labourers were crushed to death when the cables of a crane being used to lower them into a coal pit snapped midway hurling them down the pit of a coal mine. The incident had occurred at a coal mine owned by one Nangtre Dkhar of Latyrke village at Briwar, about 80 km from Shillong.
Lamin, in his report, has blamed carelessness and gross negligence in maintenance of equipment and unavailable of trained personnel, as the reasons that led to the unwarranted incident.
The report was prepared after conducting a spot inspection of the coal quarry, sources informed.
Last month too, four labourers had lost their lives in a coal quarry at Nongkhlieh in East Jaintia Hills when a crane collapsed and crushed the miners to death.