Pioneer News Service
Ramgarh
Administrative and departmental action has intensified following the turbine blast at the power plant of Maa Chhinnamastika Cement and Ispat Private Limited in Hehal under Barkakana police outpost area of Ramgarh district on Friday night. Three engineers were killed and another employee was seriously injured in the incident.
Preliminary findings suggest that overheating and failure of the protection system may have caused the turbine to overspeed, resulting in the blast. Oil reportedly spilled from the turbine and triggered a major fire.
Several employees, including power plant unit in-charge Anurag Tripathi, have alleged negligence by the management. They claimed that the temperature inside the control room had been rising and that demands for installation of an air-conditioning system and adequate temperature-control measures had not been addressed.
A departmental investigation has now been initiated. Chief Factory Inspector Manish Sinha said a two-member team comprising a factory inspector and the Deputy Chief Inspector of Chotanagpur was conducting an on-site inquiry. Ramgarh SP Mukesh Kumar Lunayat also confirmed that the exact cause of the incident was being investigated. A separate inquiry panel has been constituted under the chairmanship of the SDO.
Meanwhile, the factory management agreed to provide Rs 31 lakh compensation to the family of each deceased engineer. The amount includes a Rs 30 lakh cheque and Rs 1 lakh in cash towards funeral expenses.
The compensation was handed over in the presence of Barka Gaon MLA Roshan Lal Choudhary, JKLM general secretary Girishankar Mahto, BJP district president Sanjeev Kumar Babla and other local representatives, in the presence of Labour Superintendent Anil Kumar Ranjan and Labour Enforcement Officer Chandan Kumar Das.
The families have reiterated their demand for jobs for dependants and a comprehensive safety audit of the plant. AJSU Party’s Ramgarh district president Dilip Dangi had earlier demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for each victim along with employment for their dependants.
