CUNCOLIM: Cuncolim Civic and Consumer Forum (CCCF), on Wednesday, urged the chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to personally visit the Cuncolim Industrial Estate to take stock of the unsafe conditions in which the people work and the perilous practices carried out there that has resulted in not only injuries but even death of workers.
In a letter addressed to the GIDC chairman Glenn Ticlo on Wednesday, CCCF Secretary Lorna Fernandes said his visit to the industrial estate on the World Day for Safety and Health would be a confidence-building exercise besides also showing his concern to the workers.
While pointing out that there have been deaths of workers due to cylinder blasts or suffocation due to gas leak and even limbs getting trapped in machine, she lamented that Cuncolim Industrial Estate has the highest rate of injuries and deaths amongst the industrial estates in Goa.
She also pointed out that most people believe that the accidents at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate are overlooked only because the victims are the poor migrant labourers and lamented that there is no dedicated health centre at the industrial estate besides there being a lack of fire services in Cuncolim.
“The irregular inspections by officials of the Labour Department and the Inspector of Factories and Boilers also contributes to the mess existing in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate,” she wrote in her letter.
The CCCF has recommended that a task force be appointed to examine the unsafe conditions and practices at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate and provide recommendations relating to infrastructure and other things.
Besides the letter has also asked for a progress report of the police investigation in all the cases of injuries and death of workers at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate and also a status report of these cases giving information about compensation status to the victims’ family.
The Forum also asked to evaluate the common amenities or facilities like toilets, canteen, crèche for children of working mothers, sports and recreation facilities available at the industrial estate.
Besides it also demanded that Health Cards be issued to all the workers as mandated by the Directorate of Health Services.
