The Delhi government’s Labour Department has issued notices to two companies that had employed five workers who died while cleaning a sewage tank at DLF Capital Greens on September 9, a report submitted by the Department to Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.
Five workers had died after they were made to clean out a tank at a sewage treatment plant (STP) at the private residential colony in Moti Nagar. Mr. Rai had ordered the Department to carry out an investigation on September 10.
The report said that four of the victims had been employed by Unnati Engineering and Contractor Pvt. Ltd., which was engaged for maintenance and operation of the STP, and one was employed by Crest Commercial Projects India Pvt. Ltd., the company hired for housekeeping by the principal employer, Jones Lang Lasalle Building Operation Pvt. Ltd.
Expired licence
The report said that while the principal employer was registered under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act and Crest was covered under it, the housekeeping company’s licence had expired on March 31 this year.
No application for renewal had been received, the report said. The report added that Unnati did not need a licence under the Act as it had less than 20 employees.
“However, notices under the provisions of the Contract Labour [R&A] Act, 1970, and Minimum Wages Act, 1948, have been issued to both contractors as well as Principal Employer [sic],” the report said. The companies have been asked to respond by Wednesday.
