From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 12: As work in the state-owned Hutti Gold Mines Ltd in Raichur district has been stalled in order to protect the employees from contracting coronavirus infections, the state government is planning to create a separate Covid Care Centre in the vicinity to take care of the employees and their families as well as people in the surrounding areas, mining and geology minister Murugesh R Nirani has said.
The minister told reporters at Hutti on Wednesday: “We have stopped mining operations in Hutti Gold Mines in order to protect our employees from Covid-19 pandemic. It would be very difficult for the miners and other staff to maintain social distancing and other norms while carrying out mining operations in the underground and while commuting in a shaft.’’
"There are chances of employees contracting virus easily if they are subjected to such working conditions. So we have decided to temporarily stop the mining operations. Our government is more concerned about the well-being of our employees than generating revenue at this time of public health crisis,” Nirani stated.
Nirani has instructed the authorities at 120-bed Hutti Gold Mines hospital located at the campsite, which caters to the medical needs of gold mines employees, to convert 40 beds into oxygenated beds to treat patients affected by the pandemic.
A Covid Care Centre at Hutti in Raichur district to help provide better treatment to the employees of Hutti Gold Mines and people in the surrounding villages that have been witnessing a growing number of Covid-19 cases is necessary, he said.
The first option is to convert the community hall (convention centre) of the Hutti Gold Mines Ltd into a Covid Care Centre. This would help the employees, their families and surrounding villagers affected by the pandemic.
Another option, he said is to set up the Covid Care Centre at Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) campus which far away from the campsite of Hutti Gold Mines. There are also protocol issues since the KV is a central government-controlled institution.