The Gujarat High Court yesterday directed that the report of the Bhavnagar collector, appointed to inquire into the causes of fire at the Alang shipbreaking yard last month and recommend measures to avert mishaps, be placed in the record of the proceedings of the court.
A division bench, consisting of acting Chief Justice R A Mehta and Justice R K Abichandani, in their order said that further directions would be issued thereafter.
The court said that Alang Shipbreakers Ltd had submitted that Rs 15 lakh would be deposited in the high court by May 16. The high court registry shall immediately put this amount in fixed deposit for 46 days initially. It is also stated that another amount of Rs 15 lakh would be deposited in the high court by June 9. The order made it clear that this would be subject to all adjustment.
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The oral order said that it has been submitted by the company that it has already made a claim with the insurance company for the coverage under the Workmens Compensation Act and these deposits would be without prejudice to their right of indeminification from the insurance company.
These amounts are towards compensation payable to the dependents of the 15 deceased workmen who were killed in the April accident.
Mihir Joshi, counsel for the company, submitted that the company desires to pay an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 to the dependents of each of the deceased workman, of which, approximately Rs 19,000 have been paid to them.
The court, in its order, said that the counsel for Alang Shipbreakers Ltd has submitted that approximately Rs 6 lakh had been spent on the medical treatment and other expenses of the injured workmen and their attendant relatives. The company shall file a statement of account in respect of these amounts and further amounts, if spent, for the purpose.
Y M Ravani, counsel for the newly-added respondent Saurashtra Enterprises Ltd, stated that in respect of another fire incident of March 31, in which eight workers died and 10 workers were injured, they would pay similar amounts as stated by the Alang Shipbreakers Ltd.
The company would deposit in the high court a sum of Rs 8 lakh by May 16 in the form of a bank draft. Another amount of Rs 9 lakh would be deposited by June 9.
The amount would be deposited in fixed deposits for 46 days initially.
The bench directed that each of the newly-added respondents furnish copies of the muster roll, one month prior to the accident and one month thereafter, including the date of accident.
The counsel for Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) submitted that before giving any permission, it would take care to see that all safety measures mentioned in the proposed memorandum of understanding, particularly in paragraphs one and two and legal provisions therefor, are duly complied with.
The Shipbreakers Association submitted that before undertaking any such activity of beaching or cutting any new ship, they would obtain prior permission from the GMB and take all necessary saftey measures for obtaining such permission.
Whenever such permissions are granted by the GMB, the same shall be reported to the high court.