SUGAR MILL WAS ‘UNSAFE’ FOR OPERATION
The Sasamusa Sugar Mill in Gopalganj district, where six workers died and several others were injured after a tank containing hot sugarcane juice exploded on Wednesday-Thursday midnight, was functioning even after the lapse of safety certificate.
Last year, a private firm associated with labour department had provided safety certificate to the sugar mill even though it was in a dilapidated condition. The certificate, issued of November 26 last year, had expired on November 21 this year. However, the sugar mill continued its operations. The safety certificate was issued by Shubhash Kumar and Company and verified by the labour resources department officials.
Gopalganj labour superintendent Manoj Kumar Dubey admitted that the mill was in a dilapidated condition. “I inspected the sugar plant after the incident and found it in a dilapidated condition. The plant was running without any security arrangement for the employees,” Dubey said.
He said an FIR has been lodged with Kuchaikot police station against mill owner Mahmod Ali and his two sons Rikki Ali and Sikki Ali. However, no action has so far been taken against the private firm which issued the safety certificate to the mill.
Labour department inspector, Muzaffarpur, Pankaj Kumar, said they only verify the certificates issued by private firms. “We have no role in inspection,” he added. Kumar said they don’t possess any equipment to carry out inspection. “Chief inspector of factory nominates a firm which carries out inspection work instead of the department’s engineer,” he added.
Kumar said the private firm had inspected all mill equipment, except boilers, and certified them as “safe for normal use for a period of one year”
Contrary to labour superintendent’s claim, chief inspector of boiler, Kailash Prasad Singh, said all four boilers of the mill were in a very good shape. “Two boilers used to function at a time in the mill. The boilers were inspected in August this year and found to be fit for use for one year,” he said.
Principal secretary of labour resources department Dipak Kumar Singh, chief inspector of factory Rajkeshwar Kumar and deputy chief inspector S N Prasad did not respond to TOI’s calls.
Source: sugarnews.in
Published on: 25th December, 2017