While officials of Kakrapar Atomic Power Station claim of learning a lot from the radiation incident, it seems they have forgotten their duties towards the radiation-affected workers, the affected workers allege.
While officials of Kakrapar Atomic Power Station claim of learning a lot from the radiation incident, it seems they have forgotten their duties towards the radiation-affected workers, the affected workers allege. Apart from accommodating them on meagrely paid casual jobs, no concrete plans have been taken for the workers. Workers are still expecting some assistance from the power station officials.
After the incident of radiation got leaked, atomic power station officials made drastic changes in their work module. They started monitoring of work more stringent and also conducted awareness exercises in all its departments. Looking at Kakrapar, other atomic power station of NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) also started following internal exercises to improve work quality and prevent such incidents.
However, power station officials allegedly turned a blind eye to the fate of seven workers who suffered radiation. Rather than giving them assistance, power station officials allegedly provided them with measly paying jobs and that too on daily basis. Earlier these workers were working on contract basis, with contracts of longer duration.
“After the incident, we were asked to do smaller jobs like assisting gardener or helping in office work. Such jobs have pay structure between Rs110-150 per day, while, we got more than Rs220 per day when we were working in a contract. How can we accept low paying job? They should have offered similar pay to us,” alleged Dilesh Chaudhry, one of the workers, who suffered radiation.
According to Chaudhry, with their contracts cancelled, and being offered low paying jobs by the power station, they are left with no option but to initiate fight against the officials. Meanwhile, power station officials have countered the workers’ allegations by stating that they were offered simpler jobs to help them overcome the radiation incident. “It is policy to make a worker work in no radiation zone after he comes into contact with radiation, if any.
We can’t provide him work in the power plant or tunnel as this is against the rule. So we provided them with simpler work. Now such kinds of work have small pay and it is not in our hands to increase the pay,” said PK Dutta, director of atomic power station at Kakrapar.
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