Category: News

Silicosis: Gujarat HC asks Employees’ State Insurance Corp to pay compensation to 9 victims of deadly disease

The Gujarat High Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Vadodara, challenging the order of the ESI Court, Vadodara to pay disablement benefit as compensation to nine silicosis victims, all of whom are adivasis from Gujarat.
Belonging to the Jhalod block in Dahod district, these tribal workers had gone to work in quartz crushing units of Godhara between 2000 and 2005. They were exposed to high level of silica dust at work. Soon they started getting sick and some died. Many left the workplace and went back to their native home. Read more

Courtesy: Counterview

Declare land acquisition for Rourkela steel plant null & void: NCST to Guv

NEW DELHI: Declare land acquisition for Rourkela Steel Plant null and void with retrospective effect – National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has asked Odisha Governor to step in and protect interests of tribals who are being unfairly evicted from their rightful land.

In a first, the Commission has asked Odisha governor to exercise special powers granted in the Constitution for Scheduled Areas and cancel land acquired for Rourkela Steel Plant expansion plan. The move comes after the Commission examined complaints received from tribals living in the area and numerous field visits over the last 18 months. The tribals of Ruputola and Luakera villages in Rourkela had complained to NCST that they had been living in the area for over 50 years and were being wrongfully evicted after the plant’s expansion plans firmed up. Read more

Courtesy: The Economic Times

Mining rehabilitation plan for whom?

Ballari: Each Gram Panchayat in the iron ore mining belt of Ballari-Sandur-Hosapete is likely to get Rs 2 crore grant per annum to undo the damages of mining till next ten years. Ballari deputy commissioner Mr Ram Prasath Manohar, while addressing a public consultation, has stated that funds will be allocated to panchayats from the corpus of Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by the state government to carry out the restoration process.

Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court had recommended a Rs 30,000 crore mega project to undo the damage done to the environment of Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumkur district by reckless mining operations. The green bench of the Supreme Court later directed the state government to set up a company to formulate and implement projects under the Comprehensive Environment Plan for Mining Impact Zone (CEPMIZ) With such huge money involved, elected representatives in the mining region are making a beeline to submit major action plans worth hundreds of crore. Read more

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle

Bullet train: Gujarat HC issues notices to Centre, state on farmers plea challenging land acquisition

The Gujarat High Court today refused to stay the land acquisition process for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project, while issuing notices to the Centre and the state government on a petition filed by five farmers.

The five farmers from Surat district have challenged the land acquisition process.

A division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi refused to issue any stay, saying the court would wait for the replies from the respondents before passing any order. Read more

Courtesy: The Economic Times

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