JOIN USBlame it on government inaction or builders’ apathy, workers dying at construction sites is becoming a huge concern in the City.
In the latest incident on Wednesday, two people died and three minors were rescued from an unauthorised building under construction, which collapsed at Mahadevapura.
Members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), who visited the spot, protested against the owners of such buildings who did not take adequate precautions and blamed the government for not putting in place a proper policy.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Gopal Gowda, a CITU office-bearer, said: “There are several projects like this in the city where the government has no idea about the precautionary plans or safety issues and nothing is ever done for the workers. This particular project, for example, is being undertaken without any plan from the authority concerned. The executors of the project do not even have a ‘B-khata’,” he said.
CITU, while noting that it would be unfair to blame officials from the departments concerned alone, said even they had restrictions due to the lack of a strong policy.
A senior labour department official said: “A number of precautionary measures are prescribed by the labour department and the department of factories and boilers for the construction industry. We admit there are many people who construct buildings in violation of these. But, given the manpower we have and the amount of construction activity going on in the city, it becomes impossible to keep a tab.”
Several cases were booked by the department after routine inspection, he said. However, it was difficult to identify buildings without a complaint being lodged.
“Every time we get a complaint, we immediately inspect the spot and serve notices to the builders. In case they do not adhere to the guidelines, there are instances when we have prosecuted them. Acting suo motu becomes a problem, although we do have surprise raids and inspections,” he said.
CITU members said if the guilty were not punished, they would take up the matter with the government more seriously and hold protests across the city.