Rs.1 lakh for kin of Jharkhand labourers killed at Balco

October 7th, 2009 RAIPUR - A senior official of the Gannon Dunkerley and Company Ltd (GDCL), which was constructing the 257-metre chimney for the Balco power plant at Chhattisgarh's Korba town, was arrested Wednesday for the Sep 23 chimney collapse that killed 45 workers. "After a detailed interrogation of GDCL project manager Manoj Sharma for the past few days, we finally arrested him today (Wednesday) for the Balco mishap," District Superintendent of Police (Korba) Ratanlal Dangi told IANS.

October 7th, 2009 SHIMLA - Five labourers were killed when a tipper skidded off the road and fell into a 400-feet gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, police said Wednesday. "Five labourers were killed when the tipper skidded off the road and rolled down into a 400-feet gorge Tuesday night near Manikaran," Superintendent of Police K.K.

October 7th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh police have interrogated several Chinese engineers employed by Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation (SEPCO) at Korba town to probe the Sep 23 collapse of an under-construction power plant chimney that killed 45 workers. "We have interrogated a few Chinese engineers of SEPCO since Monday regarding the Balco tragedy and have also collected some documents," Vivek Sharma, police station in charge of Balco Nagar in Korba, told IANS over phone.

October 5th, 2009 RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh government Monday suspended a senior labour official after an under-construction chimney collapsed at a Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (Balco) power plant Sep 23, and left 45 workers killed under its debris. Satyaprakash Verma, assistant labour commissioner, was suspended on chages of dereliction duty for remaining absent in the aftermath of the tragedy from Korba town without informing his senior, a state government statement said.

September 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Thursday expressed his sympathy with the families of those killed and injured in a chimney collapse at a power plant of Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (Balco) in Chhattisgarh Wednesday.

September 23rd, 2009 BALCO NAGAR - The rescuers early Thursday continued their search for survivors under the debris of an under-construction power plant chimney of the Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (Balco) that caved in Wednesday amid heavy rain killing at least 20 labourers. Dozens of people were waiting at the crash site to know the fate of their loved ones who were belived to be trapped under the rubbles.

September 23rd, 2009 RAIPUR - Several workers were feared killed Wednesday in Chhattisgarh's Korba town when a 1,200 MW under construction power plant's chimney at the Bharat Aluminium Co (Balco) collapsed.

September 1st, 2009 RANCHI - Maoist guerrillas have abducted a government official from the Palamau district of Jharkhand and demanded a ransom of Rs.20 lakh, police said Tuesday. About 20 rebels of the Jharkhand Liberation Tiger (JLT) abducted Alok Kumar at gun point from Kekargarh village of Palamau, 190 km from state capital Ranchi, late Monday evening.

August 19th, 2009 RANCHI - Ten employees of a Hindalco plant in Jharkhand, abducted by a splinter group of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoists) two days ago, were freed Wednesday, police said. "All the abducted employees and labourers of the Hindalco company were rescued after police exerted pressure on the rebels.

June 27th, 2009 LUCKNOW - At least seven labourers involved in sand mining near an Uttar Pradesh river were killed when the river bank caved in Saturday, police said. The tragedy occured in the Metiuala village in Bijnor district, about 350 km from here, "where a group of labourers was carrying out sand mining along the Ratnam river", Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar told IANS.

June 13th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - As many as 12 labourers were killed on the spot and six others seriously injured as the truck they were riding in overturned near Babra village of Gujarat's Amreli district Saturday. Reports reaching here said 18 labourers were riding in the truck carrying cement from Una near Diu to the Kandla port in the Kutch region when the driver lost control over the vehicle.

March 20th, 2009 RANCHI - Eight labourers working in a brick factory were abducted by Maoist rebels in Palamau district of Jharkhand, police said Friday. Around 30 rebels of the Maoist group Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) abducted the labourers Thursday night from the brick factory in Vishrampur town, about 200 km from here.

March 20th, 2009 RANCHI - Maoist rebels Friday freed eight labourers whom they had abducted from a brick factory in Palamau district of Jharkhand, police said. Around 30 rebels of the Maoist group Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) abducted the labourers Thursday night from a brick factory in Vishrampur town, about 200 km from here.

February 16th, 2009 RANCHI - Authorities in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand Tuesday rescued around 90 child workers from hotels, eateries, business houses and other places of the district, an official said. 'We have rescued around 90 children from hotels and different places in the district with help of an NGO.

December 22nd, 2008 RANCHI - Suspected Maoist rebels shot dead five labourers in the Gumla district of Jharkhand, police said Tuesday. 'We suspect hand of Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT) behind the killing,' Superintendent of Police Baljeet Singh told IANS by telephone.