NEW DELHI, Aug 6:
As many has 527 ITBP personnel have died since 2010 while manning the Indo-China border in Ladakh and other sectors, Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed Rajya Sabha today.
Singh said during Question Hour that there has been only one death due to high altitude diseases during the past five years.
Facilities and equipment on par with Army are been provided to ITBP personnel manning high altitudes, he said.
As many as 109 ITBP personnel died in 2010, 96 in 2011, 118 in 2012 and 123 in 2013. 81 personnel have died so far in 2014.
“Considering the fact that in the last five years only one case of death occurred because of the High Altitude Diseases like Pulmonary Edema/Cerebral Edema, the figure cannot be said to be high,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said.
He said ITBP personnel are posted at high altitudes only for three months and are given duties elsewhere for the remaining nine months of the year.
To a separate question, Labour Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Government will consider amending the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1979 to protect rights and livelihood of migrant labourers.
A Bill to amend the Act was introduced in Parliament in 2011 and was referred to Parliament Standing Committee, he said. “Recommendations made by the Committee are under consideration of the Government,” he said.
The Act is enforced by the appropriate Governments for protecting migrant workers who are recruited by or through a contractor in one state under an agreement or other arrangement for employment in an establishment in another state. (PTI)
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