On recent deaths of contract workers

This email was circulated by DRPG in wake of coverage of two deaths within two weeks on the alumni networks. 

Dated: 2011-06-09.

Dear Alumnus,

You may have read about a couple of recent accidents resulting in deaths

of contract workers working on the constructions sites in the institute.

Hamara Manch, a group of some faculty members of IITK and others, has

filed two reports on these accidents. Even before that, they and some

alumni of the institute have been complaining of violations of contract

worker rights on the campus. Mails from this group have been circulated to

alumni several times in the last couple of years.

The institute has chosen not to respond so far to these complaints

publicly. However, in the last couple of reports, the Manch has accused

IITK of serious negligence in providing support to the injured workers and

the institute has now decided to respond to these accusations. We have

presented our side of the story at the site

https://sites.google.com/site/contractworkersatiitk/.

In this mail, I just wish to state that:

(1) The institute takes the safety and welfare of contract workers

seriously, and is working towards further improving its processes,

(2) We welcome constructive criticism from everyone as it will help

identify the flaws in the system,

(3) At the same time, the institute is already a "preferred place of work"

for the workers in the city of Kanpur. So we must be doing some things

right!

As regards to the reports of Hamara Manch, they list facts selectively to

support the conviction of its authors that the institute does not bother

about the workers. Please read our response and make up your mind.

With best wishes,

Manindra Agrawal