Tiruchy: The ‘No Objection Certificate (NOC)’ given to M/s Vetrivel Explosives factory at T. Murugapatti village near Thuraiyur in Tiruchirappalli district, where a major explosion recently claimed the lives of 19 persons and injured several others, has been revoked. The Tiruchy district revenue officer (DRO), Mr. K. Dharpagaraj, has rescinded the NOC granted to the controversial explosives unit.
The DRO’s action comes close on the heels of suspension of the factory’s license by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), under section 6 (E) of the Explosives Act, 1884, and rule 118 (5) of the Explosive rules 2008, sources said. The Tiruchy collector K.S. Palanisamy had instituted a magisterial inquiry into the cause of the explosion and appointed MrDharpagaraj as inquiry officer. The DRO said all prerequisites and mandatory procedures for the inquiry have been initiated.
Notice was being sent to the proprietors of the factory and other stakeholders, to enable him to hold the enquiry. Meanwhile, family members of the victims who assembled at the taluk office in Thuraiyur on Wednesday, where the State ministers Mrs Valarmathi and Vellamandi Natarajan were waiting to distribute the Rs 2.5 lakh compensation given by the company, to the family members of the 19 victims, refused to accept the solatium, saying that the compensation was too meager. They wanted a government jobs to at least one member each of all the 19 victims family. District collector K.S. Palanisamy explained to them that the State government had given Rs 3 lakh each as compensation. The company had agreed to give the compensation of '2.5 lakh as fixed by the Labour department.
He also assured them that all options would be explored to offer government jobs to the eligible members of the victims’ family. Convinced by the collector’s reply, the kin of the victims later agreed to receive the compensation granted by the company.
