Govt to launch 3-month campaign on prevention of silicosis disease

Jaipur: Social justice and empowerment minister Tika Ram Jully on Wednesday reprimanded officials of the mines and labour departments while expressing displeasure over work not being done as per the state’s policy on pneumoconiosis. He said a three-month campaign would be launched in the state to prevent the spread of silicosis disease.
For this, instructions have been given to the concerned departments to prepare an action plan. Jully was presiding over a seminar organised for the Rajasthan pneumoconiosis policy stakeholders at the secretariat on Wednesday.
He instructed all the departments concerned to adopt measures to prevent the spread of silicosis by identifying the mines and construction sites and other potential areas. “Along with the treatment of the disease, our focus should also be on preventive measures,” said Jully.
“All departments concerned like mines, industries, pollution control board and Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BOCW) should prepare their respective action plans and submit them within a week. The social justice and empowerment department will make a detailed action plan after that,” he added.
“An action plan will be prepared in October for the next three months and from November, a campaign will be launched for three months for prevention of the spread of silicosis disease,” he further said.
Apart from this, he directed the departments to organise district-level meetings in silicosis prone areas - Karauli and Jodhpur districts - in which a state-level team would be present.
“Along with publicity to prevent the spread of the disease, health check-ups of workers at construction sites should also be conducted. For this, regular camps should be organised. Owners of mines and construction sites should be made aware and sensitive about this and legal action should also be taken against the mine owners who do not follow the guidelines,” said the minister.