Amidst allegations of safety lapses and worker exploitation, Solar Industries India faces scrutiny in Maharashtra as opposition legislators demand accountability following a fatal blast that claimed nine lives.
Opposition legislators in Maharashtra are raising concerns about safety lapses at Solar Industries India, where a blast claimed nine lives. They are demanding action against officials from the Industrial Safety Department, alleging negligence in ensuring the safety of workers. The legislators argue that workers at the factory have been exploited for a long time, receiving wages below the minimum norms, as reported by PTI.
During a session in the Legislative Council, Congress MLC Shashikant Shinde highlighted previous incidents at the company, emphasizing that this was not the first explosion. He questioned the adequacy of the compensation offered to victims and criticized the government for potentially placing a monetary value on human lives.
Opposition leader Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena-UBT) visited the blast site and reported dismembered bodies. He expressed concern about the absence of mandatory safety drills at the company and accused officials from the industrial safety department of being denied access to the premises. Danve demanded a report from the Nagpur district collector to determine accountability and insisted on action against responsible Industrial Safety Department officials.
Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap pointed out discrepancies in wages, noting that the company pays workers Rs 10,500 per month, below the minimum wage of Rs 12,000 in Maharashtra. He called for the regularization of workers' employment.
Council chairperson Neelam Gorhe announced that the matter would be discussed on the following day under section 97 of the rules. Solar Industries India's senior general manager, Ashish Srivastava, had previously explained that the blast occurred during sealing work in the building where boosters used in coal mines are produced.