Ganjam: The block administration here stopped the installation of a mobile telephone tower of a private telecom company Saturday after the media reported that minors had been engaged for the work, and that they were being made to work at a height of 30 feet to 40 feet without any safety gear on the Borigaon-Purussotampur road in this district.
The matter came out after BDO Jyotiranjan Ray visited the site and stopped work on the tower. Press reports published January 7 said the consultancy agency had hired minor boys for installing the tower and was making them work at a huge height without equipping them with any safety gear.
The BDO said the private agency was executing the work violating norms and without securing a ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) from the block authorities.
He said the agency has been asked to stop work and legal action would be launched against it if it was found violating the order.
The agency which has completed 20 per cent of the work has been asked not to hire minors and to provide workers safety gear.
Ganjam tehsildar Abani Kumar Sahu also visited the spot and took stock of the situation. An inquiry revealed that the agency was carrying out the work without informing the authorities concerned. The local sarpanch said that he was not informed about the work.
PNN
