The new mines act will tighten supervision of mines and on coal companies outsourcing labourers in the restricted area, Union minister of state for Labour and Employment K Suresh said today.
“The act will give lethal power in supervision of mines and help in fixing ultimate responsibility for accidents,” Suresh said.
The Mines (Amendment) Bill 2011 envisaged safety and supervision of mines, the Minister told reporters after reviewing the functioning of the Directorate General of Mines Safety.
Hoping that the Bill will be passed in the coming Session of Parliament, he said there was a provision of seven years imprisonment for accidents against the current two years.
The Bill also had a provision for a minimum fine of Rs 50,000 against Rs 500 at present, he added.
“It was a grave violation that services of outsourced staff were being taken in the restricted area in Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and in subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL),” he said.
The Minister said that he would ask Deputy Commissioner of Dhanbad to inquire the matter, and action would be taken on the basis of reports.
He said a proposal has been sent to the Jharkhand government for approval to cover all 24 districts of the state under the ESI scheme.