Jaipur | March 08, 2017: Former member of Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Dr M K Devarajan in a letter to the chairperson of SHRC has said that the number of those certified positive with silicosis by now, according to knowledgeable sources, is over 8,000.
He was stepping in to clarify matters after the state mining department, in response to a question from Kota MLA Sandeep Sharma in the Vidhan Sabha, claimed that 2,052 cases of silicosis had been confirmed in the past three years. Of these, 236 had died.
Weighing in on this, Devarajan on Tuesday wrote to the chairperson of the SHRC clarifying that the cases of silicosis confirmed by Pneumoconiosis Boards across the state had already touched 5,392 by the time a meeting was organized on silicosis by the National Human Rights Commission in July last year. The state TB officer had also then said that 331 of these patients had died. Devarajan told TOI that by December last year the medical college level boards had certified 4,974 patients; he had also reliably learnt that district level boards had certified 3,344 silicosis patients, a total of 8,318 cases.
"RSHRC has been maintaining separate files for monitoring the certification done... It appears that no one in the state government has been monitoring the certification of silicosis cases done by various Pneumoconiosis Boards during the last several months. If the authorities concerned can place such blatantly wrong facts before the State Vidhan Sabha, you can very well imagine the irresponsible manner in which they are dealing with this human tragedy of Himalayan proportions that too caused by the irresponsible attitude of the Central and state government authorities who have the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the Mines Act and the Factories Act. That is why I am constrained to draw your kind attention to this issue," the former member said in his letter to the SHRC chairperson.
Senior officials in the mining department could not be reached over phone for a response in this matter.
Meanwhile, in a bid to work towards the elimination of TB by 2025 as announced by the prime minister, a survey of all those showing symptoms of TB is being undertaken across the state. Activists have pointed out that this could serve as an opportunity to also survey those suffering from silicosis, if a column or two recording occupational history were also included in the form that is being filled by ASHA workers. However, no such move is being undertaken.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)