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The Hindu
25-07-2025
- The Hindu
PIL in High Court for speedy investigation and disbursal of compensation to Sigachi victims
A public interest litigation has been filed in the High Court of Telangana seeking directions for expediting investigation into the recent blast at the chemical factory at Pashamylaram on June 30, and payment of compensation to the kin of the victims. The blast resulted in 46 deaths, while eight workers are missing. Retired scientist Kalapala Baburao approached the court, making the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Labour & Employment, special chief secretaries of Disaster Management, Industries & Commerce, Home, Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Chairperson of the Telangana Pollution Control Board, Commissioner of Labour, Sangareddy District Collector and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Sigachi Industries as respondents. Citing a fact-finding mission which the petitioner was a part of, the PIL document said majority of the deceased and injured workers were migrants from States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and worked as casual labourers for daily wages ranging between ₹500-750 per head. The petitioner also raised doubts about the number of workers who had attended the duty on the fateful day. While the company maintained that there were only 143 workers, enquiries by the fact finding mission revealed that the number was 163. Attendance registers and the in/out logs maintained by the Security have details about the exact number of workers, but they have been confiscated by the police. While the company has claimed that the traces of eight workers have not been found at the blast site, their disappearance coupled with the stony silence of the company and the police has caused extreme distress to the aggrieved families, the petitioner noted. CC camera footage could reveal if the workers entered the factory on the said day, but it is being deliberately delayed, he alleged. The PIL document said that the company had taken no measures to address the risks of ignition of combustible dust, nor did the inspection and regulatory authorities under the Factories Act, 1948 fulfil their duties of documenting and penalising the absence of safety protocols. This is contrary to the globally recognised standards for mitigating combustible dust risks. Further, Sigachi Industries' Material Safety Data Sheet for Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) wrongly stated that the product did not present an explosion hazard, ignoring well-established global safety standards that classify their product — Microcrystalline Cellulose — as a combustible dust. This omission has fostered a dangerous complacency, the petitioner alleged. Over nearly 35 years, inspections conducted by the Director of Factories consistently failed to identify MCC as a combustible dust hazard. Despite its widespread industrial use and international recognition as an explosible particulate, no corrective action, risk assessment, or Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) was mandated or recommended. The petitioner prayed for directions towards constitution of a special investigation team to enquire into the case, payment of compensation in full to the families of the victims, immediate release of the report of the high powered committee announced by the chief minister in the aftermath of the blast, and recognition of the danger posed by industrial dust accumulations under existing factory regulations, among others. Under interim relief, among others, the petitioner sought directions for revealing the exact number of workers on the day of the blast, and declaration of the eight missing workers as deceased.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Labour, industry must work in close coordination for nation's workforce, economy: Mandaviya, ETHRWorld
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETHRWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETHRWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. New Delhi, Labour and industry must work in close coordination for the greater good of the nation's workforce and economy, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Minister for Labour & Employment made the remarks while chairing a high-level meeting of state labour and industry ministers on the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme (ELI).The objective of the meeting was to deliberate on the implementation modalities and explore collaborative strategies for the effective rollout of the ELI Scheme, the ministry said in a statement."Labour and industry are two sides of the same must work in close coordination for the greater good of the nation's workforce and economy," he assured participants that procedural formalities under the scheme have been kept simple to ensure ease of access and encourage wide ELI scheme represents the second step after the PLI plan in the direction of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the minister said, adding that the ELI scheme will provide financial support to employers, enabling them to generate additional employment, particularly for the cited KLEMS data published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), highlighting that over 17 crore employment opportunities were generated during the last he noted, is a reflection of the significant economic progress made by the country, particularly driven by robust growth in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and emphasised that this momentum must be sustained and further accelerated through schemes like ELI, which are designed to create quality jobs, deepen formalisation, and support inclusive development.
Hans India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Govt's goal is to provide efficient governance to people: Vivekanand
Mancherial: Ministerfor Labour & Employment Gaddam Vivekanand distributed 423 sanction papers to beneficiaries of the Indiramma Housing scheme in Kotapalli mandal on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister emphasised that the government is committed to delivering effective public administration. The Indiramma Housing Scheme aims to provide homes to all eligible poor individuals. Those who own land and meet the eligibility criteria are being granted financial assistance under this scheme. Across the state, 450,000 houses are being sanctioned, with 3,500 houses allocated per constituency. In Chennur constituency alone, 12,000 applications have been received, and efforts are underway to ensure all eligible applicants receive his camp office in Chennu, he distributed land documents to 44 more beneficiaries. He reassured the public that all eligible individuals would receive homes and advised beneficiaries to construct houses only within the 600 sq. ft. limit as per government norms. He encouraged them to utilize the free sand provided and complete construction quickly. Funds will be deposited in phases—mark-out, basement, lintel, and slab stages. Measures are also being taken to ensure drinking water availability in Chennur constituency, including the installation of borewells in drought-prone areas, he added. Under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, free bus travel has been provided to women, with five buses sanctioned for the Kotapalli region. Women can now travel free of cost to any part of the State. As part of educational development, an integrated school has been established in Somanapalli of Chennur constituency, with teacher appointments made to ensure quality education with full roads and drainage canals have been constructed in every village of the constituency. Development works worth Rs 500 crore are underway in Chennur constituency. The Minister also inaugurated a solar RO water plant at the Primary Health Centre in Kotapalli, funded with Rs 5 lakh from SCCL's CSR funds. He participated in the Vanamahotsavam 2025 programme and planted saplings. The Minister urged officials to work in coordination to achieve the district's assigned targets. To address drinking water needs, the government is implementing pipeline installations, overhead tanks, and maintenance initiatives. The Minister also flagged off four newly sanctioned RTC buses for the Chennur region and encouraged women and locals to make full use of the facilities.
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Business Standard
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
ESIC launches SPREE 2025 to expand social security coverage for workers
The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has rolled out Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees (SPREE) 2025 to expand its social security coverage, an official statement said. The corporation approved SPREE 2025 during its 196th meeting in Shimla on June 27 under the chairmanship of Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The scheme will be active from July 1 to December 31, 2025 and provides one-time opportunity for unregistered employers and employees including contractual and temporary workers to enrol without facing inspections or demands for past dues. Employers can register their units and employees digitally through ESIC portal, Shram Suvidha and MCA portal. Registration will be considered valid from the date declared by the employer. No contribution or benefit will apply for periods prior to registration. No inspection or demand for past records will be made for the pre-registration period. The scheme encourages voluntary compliance by removing the fear of retrospective penalties and easing the registration process. Prior to SPREE, non-registration within specified timeframes could result in legal action and a demand for backdated dues. SPREE 2025 addresses these barriers, aiming to bring left-out establishments and workers into the ESI fold and ensure broader social protection. By simplifying the registration process and offering immunity from retrospective liabilities, the scheme not only encourages employers to regularize their workforce but also ensures that more workers, especially those in contractual sectors, gain access to essential health and social benefits under the ESI Act. Originally introduced in 2016, SPREE has facilitated the registration of over 88,000 employers and 1.02 crore employees.
Hans India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
India thrives under Modi's leadership: Karandlaje
Mangaluru: Shobha Karandlaje, the Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment, spoke to the press, celebrating the transformative impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership over the past decade. Reflecting on his 11 years as Prime Minister and prior 13 years as Gujarat's Chief Minister, she praised PM Modi's commitment to reshaping India into a global powerhouse. Karandlaje emphasised that Modi's 2014 election was a turning point for a nation frustrated with the previous Congress-led UPA government. 'The people wanted a leader who could deliver,' she said. 'Modi brought a clear agenda. A corruption-free administration, global stature for India, robust development, and uncompromised security.' According to her, these promises have been fulfilled. Addressing claims by Karnataka's state government that the central government has withheld funds, Karandlaje presented figures. She claimed that Karnataka received Rs. 1.44 lakh crore from 2004 to 2014 to 2014, compared to Rs. 5.42 lakh crore between 2014 and 2024, which is a 275% surge. She challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to address what she called 'baseless allegations' and focus on governance.
