AGARTALA, Oct 26 (TIWN): As election coming near, thus Tripura govt has started compensation-advertisements. Sources said that out of TMC and BJP’s fear the Labour Commission of Tripura has decided to compensate the family members of two youths who died mercilessly falling into a manhole at Indrangar area September 27th at Agartala. Following the miserable deaths of Subham Nama (18) & Mangal Das (26) both BJP, TMC condemned against the incident. BJP unearthed that within 15 days of Sep month at least 4 people were killed in underground deep-wells due to poisonous gases. Labourers are never provided with oxygen masks and violating all rules of labour-safety they are sent to work in empty hands. Two weeks back, 2 workers died at Dharmanagar due to poisonous gases while working in a deep-well. Surprisingly, after the incident, State Govt didn’t take the issue seriously, resulting 2 more youths’ death at Agartala in similar circumstances.

Maintenance work was going inside a Govt owned culvert tank in Agartala town where 2 people died on Tuesday.A worker went inside the tank, as usual without any safety equipment, but the tank was full of poisonous gas as it was closed for years. Although, fire brigade was informed but as fire brigade was late, so co-worker jumped into the water-tank to save his friend, but the poisonous gas also took him down. When Fire Brigade came, the 2nd boy was still alive, but the firemen escaped from the place saying, “It’s not our job”.

Hapless workers groaned for few more minutes and gradually poisonous gases killed them . Name of the deceased are Subham Nama (18) & Mangal Das (26).

Agitated public expressed extreme displeasure for the infrastructure-less Tripura Administration. Talking to the public present there they said, “Fire Brigade didn’t have any oxygen mask, cylinders with them. The untrained Govt  employees in the attire of Firemen escaped from the place.

Agitated masses later screamed over the administration including DM, IG Law & Order by saying, why nobody is there to help the helpless in state? They also raised question, is it so called developing state, where in emergency time nobody knows who can help a dying person?

BJP condemned over the incident strongly & said, “In this Golden Era, workers are sent to die without any machineries. Neither the administration is prepared to fight with such emergency situations, as the Fire Brigade, NDRF team came after more than 2 hours on the spot”.

However, seeing the motionless bodies of their sons, both the families broke down into tears, screaming over their massive losses.  Police atleast could call NDRF, but it didn’t come to their brain. 

BJP raised questions :

1.     In last 10 years, the funds which came in the name of NDRF in what purpose they were used?

2.     Under Chief Minister Manik Sarkar’s administration-- who has received the tender for buying thr NDRF machineries?

BJP also condemned against state Govt.’s offer to the victim family with only Rs. 5000/-, and demanded atleast Rs. 10 lakhs to give to those families. 

However, after 1 month of the incident a  meeting was held among  Labour Dept. officials led by  Labour Commissioner Swapan Kumar Das at Agartala and it was decided to handover compensation on November 10 next to both the families of Subham Nama Sarkar (20) and Mangal Rabi Das (17) who were killed falling in to a manhole at Indranagar area based on ‘The Employees Compensation Act, 1923.

After the meeting it has been finalized that Rs 9,09,960 will be given as compensation to each of the families. Now question arises, apart from this Rs. 10,000/-what Tripura govt has done for the labours? Has the working security increased? What about other labours who died in similar manner earlier in state.