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Goa slams companies dealing in dangerous substances

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Goa has identified at least nine major and several other small chemical industries, which would be now compelled to disburse monetary relief to the victims of hazardous substances the industries handle in the factory or dump on the wayside.

Unlike the erstwhile Congress government, the new coalition government led by Dr Wilfred de Souza has decided to bring into force seven-year old Public Liability Insurance Act, which was not implemented till date.

Labour Minister Dr Kashinath Jhalmi has instructed all the industries concerned in the state to take insurance policy from the General Insurance Corporation, equivalent to its paid-up capital but not exceeding Rs 500 million.

The units with potential of causing major hazards identified so far are Zuari Industries, Indian Oil Corporation, Novartis India, Ciba Speciality Chemicals, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation's liquefied petroleum gas plant, Finolex Essex Industries, Binani Industries, Filpack and Teksid Kalyani Iron Foundry.

The decision is said to bring glad tidings to tourists as highway accidents involving tankers carrying ammonia or such other hazardous substances are common. In the past, several people died in this kind of mishaps.

Another hazard was leaks of hazardous gases during night time at some major factories. These mishaps usually caused internal damange to workers and people residing in neighbouring areas.

Dr Jhalmi has also announced his plans to amend the factories' rules, making the pre-employment medical check-up mandatory. The tests would then be conducted once in five years for the workers aged under 45 years and once in three years for those aged above 45 years.

In a meeting with the local industrialists and the labour unions, Dr Jhalmi urged them to insure their workers under General Insurance scheme in order to assure them monetary relief in case of accidents, death or permanent disability, even after leaving the job, upto the age of 80 years.