As many as 487 cases of industrial accidents occurred in Odisha in 2011, the highest since 2007. The casualties in these mishaps included 60 deaths and 427 injured.
According to a written reply furnished by Bijayshree Routray, minister for labour & employees state insurance in the state assembly, compensation amounting to Rs 1.02 crore was paid to the victims in 2011. While 27 compensation cases were settled, 76 cases were still pending. The non-settlement of cases was due to non-submission of cases and also non-production of witnesses and adjournment sought by the parties.
In 2010, a compensation of Rs 2.71 crore was paid to the victims as 62 cases were settled.
Cases of industrial accidents in the state had risen from 477 in 2010 to 487 in 2011 though cases of deaths had sharply fallen from 102 to 60 over the same period. The most number of deaths in the past five years was reported in 2009 when 122 people had died in industrial accidents.
