Rat-Hole Miners Decline Rs. 50000 Cheques, Seek Fair Recognition for Heroic Rescue Efforts

Rat-Hole Miners Decline Rs. 50000 Cheques, Seek Fair Recognition for Heroic Rescue Efforts

VoM News Desk | December 23, 2023 | 02:31 PM IST | Uttarakhand | Follow on Google News

Rat-Hole Miners Decline Rs. 50000 Cheques, Seek Fair Recognition for Heroic Rescue Efforts

Rat-Hole Miners Decline Rs. 50000 Cheques, Seek Fair Recognition for Heroic Rescue Efforts

The courageous rat-hole miners, instrumental in rescuing 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel, have refused to accept the Rs. 50000 cheques presented to them by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Disappointed with the compensation, the miners, despite their heroic role, find the gesture inadequate.

Vakil Hassan, leading the team of rat-hole miners, expressed their dissatisfaction, emphasizing the cheques didn’t match the critical role they played in the rescue mission.

He highlighted that the miners risked their lives to drill manually through debris when machines failed, aiding the trapped workers without any conditions.

Despite being honored by the state government, the miners collectively decided not to cash the cheques.

They conveyed their discontent to the Chief Minister, expecting a more appropriate acknowledgment of their efforts. Their primary request is permanent jobs as recognition for their significant role in the operation.

Munna, one of the miners who ventured into the danger zone to save lives, highlighted the insufficiency of the compensation given the perilous circumstances they faced.

He stressed that a mere Rs. 50,000 was demoralizing, urging for more substantial support like permanent employment or housing.

Chief Minister Dhami had awarded the 12 rat-hole miners for manually drilling a crucial stretch in the collapsed tunnel, enabling the rescue of the trapped workers after numerous attempts with machinery failed.

The workers remained trapped for seventeen days before their daring rescue.

VoM News Desk

VoM News is an online web portal in jammu Kashmir offers regional, National & global news.