Document 992j8kmyy4DMBDQk5Ow63z6je

FILE NAME: Shree Digvijay (SDV) DATE: 1984 Apr 22 DOC#: SDV031 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Barry Castleman Notes on Shree Digvijay Status Report Shree Digvijay status report April 22, 1985 Rani Advani has started her internship w/NRDC, will he: w/NY ofc until br/26 # . w/SF ofc 10 days, then w/Sid Walinski w/NY ofc after May 12 w/DC ofc after May 23 when she wants to meet me A petition has "been filed w/Gujarat courts, the best in In.ia. Rani wants to review the petition with me and file amendments to petition as warranted. Govt labor authorities have ordered some improvements at plant, not all have been made. Rani \ sued the govt and impleaded S-D (she couldn't sue S-D directly; This is a precedent suit over asbestos in India. Central Labour Institute has diagnosed 20 definite asbestosis cases and another J>6 possible cases. They were sent to anoth r govt office (Nat. Inst, for Occ. Health?) which examined the 20 and said only 8 had asbestosis. The state comp authorities then refused to pay comp to any of the workers. Rani has urge that they develop uniform recognized standards, medically. # fact that these 20 have been diagnosed as having asbestosis is the basis for Rani's demands in court that they receive expedited compensation. Govt action has thus shortcircuited what would have otherwise been a longer process. Comp status for asbestos-cancer and other subjects will have to await a longer discussion. Rani has approached all the authors of the Indian articles^ on asbestosis in 1983* two wrote back, neither would testify. She found another guy w/background in veternary medicine who has worked w/Selikoff. He had tried to get air samples from S-D for 3 years starting back in 1972 and gave up. He would not testify to that fact, however, nor render any other assistance. Rani will ask Selikoff about docs in India, and about m t 'lly recognized stds for the diagnosis of asbestosis to support her court complaint.