Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has sought data on the number of labourers across the country who have died in the past five years. In response, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said 14,264 labourers have died in the past five years from 2018 to 2022.
Raising the issue in Parliament, Banerjee questioned whether the Centre has any data on the number of labourers’ deaths in hazardous industries and construction sectors across the country in the past five years. He also sought details of the fatalities year-wise and industry-wise.
He further asked for the details of the total amount of compensation disbursed to the families of the labourers who died during the said period, and the number of cases of compensation which are still pending, state-wise.
The Diamond Harbour MP also enquired the details of the measures taken by the government to ensure workplace safety and timely disbursement of compensation to the affected families.
Replying to Banerjee, Minister of State for Ministry of Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said the number of labourers’ fatalities from 2018 to 2022 were 1,154, 1,127, 1,050, 988 and 1,053, respectively, as per the data received from the states and Union Territories.
She said the Centre enacted the Factories Act, 1948, which provides for the safety, health and welfare of workers working in factories registered under law.
The Factories Act, 1948 is enforced by the respective state governments through the Chief Inspectors of Factories (CIFs) /Directorates of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) in their respective sphere.
Karandlaje said the Chief Inspectors of Factories (CIF) and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) were empowered to take legal action against the occupier and manager of the factory for violating the provisions of the act.
In the case of the construction sector, she said, provisions of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996 stipulate all measures to ensure the welfare, safety and health of construction workers.