the goan I network
PANAJI
Over a fortnight after the blast at a Tuem cement blocks manufacturing factory claimed the lives of two of its workmen and injured seven others, the State government and its authorities are grappling with procedures and laws to initiate criminal action against the firm, Venelex.
Several authorities, including the Pernem police who launched an investigation immediately after the incident on January 12, have found multiple irregularities. However, inexplicably, no criminal action has been initiated yet against the management of Venelex.
For starters, the factory which manufactures nearly half-a-dozen cement block products, was operating since early 2018, inside the Goa IDC estate without some of the basic registration formalities with.
The factory which was operating a boiler which is said to be the cause of the blast had failed to fulfil the mandatory requirement of the equipment being certified by the Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers.
Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers, Vivek Marathe, told The Goan that his department has written to the government that the factory in question is not registered with them and therefore there is no question of them identifying the cause of the accident.
Marathe said, the police had approached them for
expert opinion to assist their probe and identify the cause of the blast. He said it was not possible to technically identify the cause of the accident as we are not aware of the condition of the boiler before the blast.
He said, before any boiler is put to use for commercial production, it is mandatory that the equipment is registered with his department.
The boiler has to be inspected and only after certification can the equipment be put to use for commercial production, Marathe added.
Interestingly, the Phase II plot of Tuem Industiral Estate where the factory is located stands in the name of one Rajendra Joshi, but Venelex has already initiated the process in the GIDC for transfer of plot.
GIDC sources said, all documentation and communication related to the application for transfer of the plot were forwarded by one Samir Mandrekar on behalf of Venelex.
Mandrekar is the son of former Minister Dayanand Mandrekar and he also served a term as president of the State unit of the ruling party’s youth wing. Nine workers of the factory were injured in the blast which occurred on January 12. Three of them were injured critically.
While Ajit Nene, a Kholapur native succumbed to his injuries on the day following the blast, 19-year-old Akhil Naik of Tuem died at the GMC four days later.
Meanwhile, the families of the deceased and those injured in the factory blast are yet to receive any compensation either from the company or from the State government.
Sources said, Samir Mandrekar, however visited the home of Akhil Naik in Tuem and condoled with the family. He also promised the family ex-gratia compensation.
The nature of the business -- cement block manufacturing -- classifies it in the ‘unorganised category’ but the unit in Tuem was also not registered with the Labour Department either for the purpose of labour laws or under the Shops and Establishment Act.
