Telangana High Court asks ts to pay compensation to silicosis victims

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the Telangana state government and the State Mineral Development Corporation authorities to pay compensation to the families of the workers who died of silicosis in Elkatta and Chowlapally of Ranga Reddy district and to file a compliance report within four weeks.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy, was dealing with a report which described the various problems faced by the family members of the victims who succumbed to the occupational hazard while working in the Quartz Mines, which had been run by the State Mineral Development Corporation before it was closed after the deaths of employees.

The bench directed the chief secretary of the state, the member secretary of the Telangana State Legal Service Authority and the managing director, Telang-ana State Mineral Development Corporation to congregate and deliberate upon the issue of payment of compensation to the eligible family members and widows, whose husbands died while working in the Quartz Mines, as expeditiously as possible.

Mr B.S. Prasad, Advocate General of the state, informed the court that the state could identify 71 affected families who are eligible to be paid compensation and that the process for payment of compensation will be taken up on priority.