Panel members visit site to probe coal bunker collapse

Rourkela: A five-member committee comprising officials from the directorate of factories and boilers has begun investigating the coal bunker collapse at Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited's Rajgangpur plant that claimed lives of three workers last week.Two committee members, including the deputy director of factories and boilers, Bibhu Prasad, and assistant director Suvendu Rout, visited the site on Tuesday. The other committee members are M K Pradhan, deputy director (safety) from Bhubaneswar, S Jena, deputy director from Sambalpur division, and U K Samantaray, assistant director from Sambalpur. All the members are scheduled to conduct a detailed investigation at the site on Jan 24."A detailed enquiry report will be submitted within one month of the incident," said Rout. He added that copies would be sent to the director of factories and boilers, principal secretary of labour and ESI department, and the Sundargarh collector. A prosecution report will be filed before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Rajgangpur, within three months.Bodies of Susanta Rout, Dasarath Patra and Ranjit Bhol were recovered after a nearly 40-hour rescue operation. Separate FIRs have been filed against the factory management alleging negligence.Despite multiple attempts by TOI, company officials declined to comment on the matter. Directorate of factories and boilers has prohibited the operation of the coal bunker and connected circuit of the power plant since Jan 17. Plant authorities have been ordered to conduct a comprehensive structural testing by a reputed national institute, preferably CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC), Chennai.