GUWAHATI, Jan 16: The Assam cabinet today decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate into the coal mine disaster in Dima Hasao’s Umrangso while it approved Rs 10 lakh to be given as ex-gratia to the next of kin of the four deceased coal miners whose bodies have been found along with an equal amount to the kin of the others missing miners whether they are found dead or alive.
This was announced by Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma after the conclusion of the meeting of his cabinet in Morigaon.
Here is the list of decisions taken by the Assam Cabinet on the Umrangso Mine Tragedy
- 10 lakh ex gratia will be offered to the Next of Kin of the four deceased persons.
- Next of Kin of the other five persons who are yet to be found will also be provided 10 lakh compensation, whether they are found to be dead or alive
- A judicial enquiry commission headed by Justice Anima Hazarika, former Judge of Gauhati High Court will be instituted to examine the matter and fix responsibility against responsible officers, individuals and institutions
- A SOP will be framed regarding effecting blanket ban on Rat Hole Mining in the state
- An SIT will be constituted to enquire into the entire incident on the basis of the FIR already registered on the matter. The SIT will be monitored by Retd Justice Anima Hazarika
- The Mines and Minerals Department will take steps to close all existing rathole mines wherever they are found, in consultation with the central agencies
It may be mentioned here that the bodies of four of the nine miners who were trapped in the flooded rat-hole coal mine at Tini Kilo, Umrangso, in Assam’s Dima Hasao district have been recovered while the rest five miners, who are all presumed dead, are yet to be recovered even as operations to pull them out of the mine, dead or alive, are still underway.
