Mines and minerals: ‘Govt committed to ensuring miners’ health and safety’
Minister says modern safety equipment will be procured
Minister says modern safety equipment will be procured. PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
The government has been taking concrete steps to ensure miners’ health and safety, Mines and Minerals Minister Sher Ali Khan said on Thursday.
Khan made the remarks at a meeting at the Chief Inspectorate of Mines. He said they staked their lives to unearth treasures buried in the mines. Khan said the steps taken to ensure workers’ welfare included the provision of state-of-the-art mining equipment, safety gear and free health and education facilities for miners’ families. The minister praised the performance of department officials. He said they would be sent abroad to learn how to deal with any untoward situation at mines. The minister said state-of-the-art equipment would be procured to revamp the inspectorate. Khan said liscences of mine lessors would not be issued if they employed untrained workers.
Mines Chief Inspector Siddique Chaudhry informed the minister about the department’s performance. He said work on a Rs78 million mines rescue and safety area substation was nearing completion. Chaudhry said the department’s expenses were expected to amount to Rs153.855 million this year. He said 784 inspections of the province’s 2,600 mines had been conducted. Chaudhry said action had been taken against 814 mine owners.
He said the compensation awarded for any fatality in the sector had been raised to Rs400,000 from Rs200,000. Chaudhry said a sum of Rs500,000 was also provided to relatives of deceased miners. He said the collection of annual excise duty had generated Rs340 million.
The minister was informed that work on a 10-bed labour welfare hospital and a girls’ school in Sargodha had ended.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2015.
The government has been taking concrete steps to ensure miners’ health and safety, Mines and Minerals Minister Sher Ali Khan said on Thursday.
Khan made the remarks at a meeting at the Chief Inspectorate of Mines. He said they staked their lives to unearth treasures buried in the mines. Khan said the steps taken to ensure workers’ welfare included the provision of state-of-the-art mining equipment, safety gear and free health and education facilities for miners’ families. The minister praised the performance of department officials. He said they would be sent abroad to learn how to deal with any untoward situation at mines. The minister said state-of-the-art equipment would be procured to revamp the inspectorate. Khan said liscences of mine lessors would not be issued if they employed untrained workers.
Mines Chief Inspector Siddique Chaudhry informed the minister about the department’s performance. He said work on a Rs78 million mines rescue and safety area substation was nearing completion. Chaudhry said the department’s expenses were expected to amount to Rs153.855 million this year. He said 784 inspections of the province’s 2,600 mines had been conducted. Chaudhry said action had been taken against 814 mine owners.
He said the compensation awarded for any fatality in the sector had been raised to Rs400,000 from Rs200,000. Chaudhry said a sum of Rs500,000 was also provided to relatives of deceased miners. He said the collection of annual excise duty had generated Rs340 million.
The minister was informed that work on a 10-bed labour welfare hospital and a girls’ school in Sargodha had ended.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2015.