A compensation dispute has flared up in the aftermath of the three-fatal 3D Innovation factory blaze in Bendri, Raipur that saw two tribal Madhya Pradesh labourers lose their lives. The relatives of the tribal victims have claimed to have been awarded less compensation than the government had stated in the press.
The blast took place on July 7, when an oxygen cylinder, allegedly exploded inside the factory, claimed the lives of three workers on the spot. The event was so strong that those victims were left with grave wounds and were deeply outraged and demanded that the state should take strict measures and compensation to them as well.
Lal Singh, Kamal Singh Maravi, both tribal workers in Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh, and Arun Pandey of Janjgir district in Chhattisgarh were all dead, police said.
In the wake of the accident, the Chhattisgarh government’s Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced compensation of Rs 30 lakh to every worker’s family member who passed away from the company. The family of Arun Pandey, however, reportedly got around Rs 29 lakh by cheque and Kumar Abhishek’s family reportedly got Rs 21 lakh by cheque, which is Rs 1 lakh less than the other two tribal workers.
The claimed difference has led to rumours of less compensation to the tribal families for no justifiable reason, and there have been complaints from several organisations and prominent citizens about how the compensation amount is less for the tribal families than that announced by the Chief Minister.
The activists have also said that such cases of industrial accidents have happened in the past, in which the families of tribal workers were not properly remunerated. There is now a new worry about fairness, accountability, and equal treatment in compensating for industrial injuries.