Document VjDpnNvX6Gpgwg9proKwGvRwg

FILE NAME: Shree Digvijay (SDV) DATE: 1984 May 26 DOC#: SDV030 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter from India Consumer Education Centre to Barry Castleman RE Status of Asbestos Inquiry into Shree Digvijay Cement CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE Thakorebhai Desal Smarak Bhavan, Near Law College, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad-380 006. (India) May 26, 1984 Gram : C O N S U M E R Ph. No. 448833 Mr. Barry Castlernan Environmental Consultant 1722, Linden Avenue Baltimore MARYLAND - 21217. Dear Mr. Castlernan : Sub: Recent status of Asbestos enquiry with regard to Shri Digvijay Cement Comgany^ Ahmed aba d _____ _______ I received both your enquiries regarding the current status of Shri Digvijay Cement Company, Ahmedabad. As you know, earlier the Company was receptive to taking remedial measures to minimise Asbestos hazards to the workers. However, later on when we wanted them to sign a docu ment detailing the appointment of an independent Committee comprising of representatives from among the management, labou rers, trade union, consumers etc. they backed out. The osten sible reason they gave was that the Central Government of India had a ppointed a Committee to investigate the occupational haza rds etc. with regard to asbestos, and so the appointment of this Committee in Ahmedabad would be infructuous. We insisted that this was not so: because whereas the national committee was only to formulate proposals for investigating into the occupational hazards in working with asbestos and to suggest legislative amendments etc. on general lines for the whole country, we were only concerned with Shri Digvijay Cement Company in particular and the gross violations we had witnessed therein. For the time being the matter seemed to be stuck at that. We were also not very keen to go to the Courts because of the inordinately long time it might have taken. So we appro ached the Minister concerned at the State Government level, who agreed to examine the issues and then take a decision as to whe ther a Committee should be appointed or not. 'We have had a seri es of meetings now with the Minister for Labour and Employment, and Chief Inspector of Factories, the last one being on this 21st May 1984. TRUSTEES Prof. Manubhai Shah, Mr. Bhaskar Tanna, Mr. Pravin Parekh, Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad. New Delhi. M iss Hemlata Hegiste, Ahmedabad. Mrs. Swaran Kohli, Bombay. Tel. 0. : 371371 Tel. O. : 447744 Tel. O. : 324315, 324623 Tel. O. : 311702 Tel. 0. : 216220 R . : 441138 Telex R .:447744 R.: 667703, 669397 R .:392585 R .: 2020068 : 0121-214 CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE *2 : That was wie Reason wny A i,au wixnneia my reolv to you because I wanted to be able to report to you theV final outcome* liitca agreement A) All statutory violati on c which CERC has observed t h f ^ ! f ! r F T F T7ubm itted separately to Jk . f ? te xfor Labour and Employment and the telvfa S SSn Cthf oftFactories< They will immedla- y act on these to ensure enforcement of the law. The issues that would be covered under this c p +p Sneaorgeaar^ tetcc.e ttonPtfhieyiwnoSrk,0efrselboythitnhae,Company, a thorough medical check up before employment follJo? b[ a re9ular 6 months check up and a radio- rooms^change^ooms"etc? y,ar*' PrVision f wash B) g -11 beStakJn i p 'b r t h e ^ i n i s t L ^ o r ^ L a b o S ^ a ^ 011 s 1^ ep i i i ; ? ^ n: ith the state Board for vsater C) Any other issues not covered under A & B will also . examined and if ultimately found to be necessary, will be entrusted to a Committee to be appointed for especially for this reason. nn_ ~~ ihmk probably this is the final culmination of our efforts, provided of course action is taken soeSi?v We have also made it very clear thatthe?p mnt+ number of tte workers! W beCme meanin3le for a great . , government hlso appears to be in a co-onpro+iwo Hh?s t0 probably avoid any kind of unlclssl?y strictures being passed against them. "necessary * ,, , 11 our efforts now are being concentrated on +T--W t e ? h S c S h f L mUCh possible without standing on toS xecnnicalities, so long as the relief is effective t m t 7 issues has dragged on for too long now. etrectlve- Thls X hope this information will serve your purpose. mv aooli y- fr To^r Prompt and ready endorsement of K X a ts a ^ b o h r mr tefU l t0 ^ fr ali the 9od r d s World Resourcelonffre^in T u n V * * ^ SUCCSSS f<~ y0Ur / v \ Sincerely JV t I J njV dbUbaiUlLw CL il Afvani Legal Researcher (Hon.) cljLX ^ A tcX ^ J foe 1rv&tL jX^tu^MAj^ iH-'pWtc&MA/ 4" i^JL Ctoct/L~u, cb^A>jl!bd>i^^ ij) 'ti'CL '^^AU^j^AJ[Lv 4 (4 X 4 l^ikw liA . + 4ojfcHSjn;. ' M x L ita, A d C w d W ' w w Uho w , c i . ^ i X t ^ A x tu^ L a ^ x < A a . to A ju lin J jjil to Ctofe to L a , *to, ^w . /V U A V iS x U> to x x 4 il i W ^ u i X A ^ u <u m a a 1 i/*a JCA 'to e .t o w -t-o ctUvOvluzJl ,w toto 4 A x kccxi^ jC tlM viU to o J e jtw L AA, 't o A J x O T v X A x A .,