Odisha has no info on foreigners engaged in BSL: Minister

The Odisha government today said it did not have accurate information about foreigners engaged in commissioning of blast furnace-II of Bhushan Steel Plant at Meramundali in Dhenkanal district where a blast and fire killed one person and left 15 others injured.
"We do not have accurate information on foreign nationals engaged in BSL. We heard from locals that some foreigners are feared missing. But, the government is not sure. We are probing it," Labour Minister Bijayshree Routray told PTI here.
Superintendent of Police Dhenkanal Manoranjam Mohanty, however, said there were 65 foreign nationals engaged in BSL.
"The foreigners engaged by BSL used to come and go. We have records of their arrival and departure. But, we came to know that some foreigners have left without informing the police after the fire on Wednesday. We are checking with the airport and other sources," the SP said.

Presence of some foreign nationals at the blast furnace-II, where the accident took place, was indicated from the statement of BSL's COO Atul Verma, who before his arrest had said that foreign engineers were engaged in commissioning it.
Labour Commissioner Salini Pandit, who visited the accident site during the day said, "Though there is no allegation of missing persons, we are verifying the record and physically examining the presence of people who worked at BSL on November 13."
The government has sealed the blast furnace-II after the accident, while a team of experts from Rourkela Steel Plant inspected the plant to ensure that the blast furnace-I was operating perfectly.

"They will also check other machinery in the BSL premises," the minister said.