Alang observes bandh for second consecutive day

All the 135-odd ship breaking units in the Alang Ship Breaking and Recycling Yard area in Bhavnagar district remained closed following the bandh call given by the Ship Recycling Industries Association India (SRIAI).

Meanwhile, representatives of various plastic, chemical, transport and other industry associations too have lent their support for the protest, SRIAI joint secretary Nikhil Gupta said.

"We plan to observe bandh on Monday as well," Gupta told PTI, adding that they were discussing whether to give a call for Bhavnagar bandh as well.

Gupta said that the state and Central government had suffered revenue loss to the tune of Rs 50 crore owing to the bandh.

"Workers will be paid their wages even for the bandh days. Besides, SCCI has decided to pay Rs 1 lakh to the family members of the deceased in addition to the amount they would get from workers compensation fund," Gupta said.

An explosion and subsequent fire on the oil tanker that was being dismantled at the yard on October 6 led to the death of five labourers on the spot while one person succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. One labourer is still recuperating in a hospital.

Days after the blast, the police arrested proprietors of Kiran Ship Breaking Company, namely, Ram Kishan Jain and Vipan Kumar Jain and their manager Rajesh Jugud in connection with the incident, under IPC section 304 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The protesters are demanding that they may be charged for death due to negligence.

Kiran Ship owns the plot where the Portuguese tanker was being dismantled when the accident took place.