Trinath
Betapur, Jan 22: The Betapur Saw Mill, situated at Middle Andaman is presently crying for attention and modernisation.
The Saw Mill started functioning in 1956 and even today it appears as if the Saw Mill is still in Pre-Independence age.
According to reports available here the Mill presently has five benches for sawing timbers but most of the time only two benches remain in operation while other benches remain out of service, either because of want of raw materials or trained workers.
Workers allege that due to total negligence from the side of authorities raw materials do not reach Betapur Saw Mill on time, which is actually a loss for both public and the Forest Department. As the raw materials are not reaching Betapur Saw Mill on time people of the area have to wait for several days for timber.
“We often call Betapur Saw Mill as the Garbage bin of Chatham Saw Mill. This is because most of the time the discarded spare parts of Chatham Saw Mill are installed in the machineries of Betapur Saw Mill, which again results in low productivity,” said a resident of Betapur.
When contacted the ACF of the area told Andaman Sheekha that the Saw Mill does not have required number of workers, which is the actual problem of the Saw Mill. He told Andaman Sheekha that he has approached his Head Quarters several time to provide adequate number of workers but no action has been initiated yet to appoint more workers for the Saw Mill.
When Andaman Sheekha Correspondent visited the Saw Mill it was found that the Saw Mill does not have proper arrangement for providing safe drinking water for workers.
Neither the Saw Mill has canteen nor rest room facilities for workers, which is a gross violation of industrial act.
Logs, worth crores of rupees are kept in open and left to elements, which often results huge loss.
There were some female employees who told Andaman Sheekha that they have been given work inside the saw mill, where it is impossible to work without proper masks and other safety gears. They alleged that they have been given the task against their wish.
When Andaman Sheekha questioned about this to the ACF he was surprised. “No one should be transferred from Range Office to Industrial Unit, against their will as per rule,” was his comment but he failed to explain why such violation was overlooked by him since last many years.
Workers of Betapur Saw Mill now demand visit of a high level independent inquiry team to the Saw Mill to see that how norms are violated openly in the Saw Mill and how the Saw Mill is dying a slow death due to total negligence.
