Odisha shifts labour secy, seals BSL's power plant, CR mill

The Odisha government today shifted Labour Secretary CTM Suguna while the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) sealed Bhushan Steel Limited's (BSL) power plant and cold rolling mill besides filing two cases against the company on charges of violating norms, official sources said.
Earlier, the state government had sealed the Blast Furnace-II of BSL factory at Meramundali in Dhenkanal district where two persons were killed and 29 others injured in an accident on November 13 last.
"BSL's 256 MW power plant and cold rolling mill in the factory premises at Meramundali are sealed after it has been found that these units operated illegally," SPCB's regional officer S Sahu said.

The SPCB also filed two separate cases against three officials of BSL for violation of various sections of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Meanwhile, Odisha government made it clear that a total of 974 workers were engaged in BSL's Blast Furnace-II where the accident took place.
"Of the 974 workers engaged in the Blast Furnace-II, 31 persons have been affected in the accident of whom two persons died," Labour Commissioner Salini Pandit said.

Asserting that no person from the steel plant was missing as alleged by different quarters, Pandit said she had verified records of 35 labour contractors who had supplied workers to BSL.

In a related development, the state government shifted the 1989 batch IAS officer CTM Suguna from the post of commissioner-cum-secretary of Labour and Employees State Insurance and made her the new Commissioner, Consolidation.
Raj Kumar Sharma, Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment department, has been given additional charge of Labour department.
Suguna's transfer came after her department was accused of overlooking several instances of violation of Labour law by BSL.