Jaipur | Jun 16, 2016: There are over 5,300 people certified silicosis patients in the state. On Wednesday, a delegation from the Jawab Do dharna met secretary Deepak Upreti of the state mining department and other officials, and came away feeling that the fate of those afflicted by this lung condition could improve, as the state government is now acting with a sense of urgency.

Rajasthan is among the first states in the country to attempt to put in place proper relief measures for those suffering from silicosis, says Dr MK Devarajan of the state human rights commission. Next month, the National Human Rights Commission has convened a meeting in Delhi of all states where mining has affected workers' health. The measures taken in Rajasthan will be reported to officials from other states, so the learning can be shared.

On Wednesday, the officials told the delegation that included Rana Sengupta of Mine Labourers Protection Campaign, Nikhil Dey of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan and Kavita Srivastava of People's Union for Civil Liberties that a new management information system (MIS) will be set up, so records of those testing positive, and whether they have received compensation can be better tracked. Clear timelines will be put in place, so that the backlog of those whose payments are pending can be expeditiously cleared. Letters will be sent out to district collectors seeking lists of those who have tested positive, so payments can be handed out in a systematic and planned manner.

All mining lease information will be put up on public display, as a pilot project in at least two model blocks. This will aid people in getting to know if all terms of the lease allotment are being followed. A representative body will also be appointed locally to monitor whether the norms are followed. This pilot, once fine-tuned, will be used across the 20 districts of the state where mines exist.

A new board, for which a government notification was issued on May 31, will take care of the welfare of mine workers. It would also work towards ensuring the prevention of silicosis by making it mandatory that workers use masks and that drilling is done only after water is sprayed, so the dust does not rise.

Rana Sengupta of MLPC said, "These are all positive developments. The state government has displayed a sense of sincerity and urgency in dealing with this problem."

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)