Commerce and Industry Minister Lakhan Lal Dewangan, who also holds the Labour portfolio, said 122 workers died in factory accidents during 2025, while 74 others lost their lives in industrial disasters until May 2026. He was responding to a call attention motion moved by senior BJP legislators Ajay Chandrakar, Dharamlal Kaushik and Dharmjeet Singh.
The ruling party legislators raised concerns over the increasing number of industrial accidents and alleged that negligence in enforcing workplace safety standards had resulted in repeated incidents, including boiler explosions, gas leaks, lift failures and structural collapses.
They highlighted the April 14 boiler explosion at Vedanta's power plant in Singhitarai village of Sakti district, which claimed 25 lives, along with accidents at a tarcoal plant in Raigarh district in February and a steel unit in Raipur in June. They alleged that workers were being forced to operate under unsafe conditions, creating dissatisfaction among employees towards both the administration and industrial establishments.
Responding to the allegations, Minister Dewangan stated that it was incorrect to claim that industrial accidents were increasing due to negligence in enforcing safety regulations. He said the Labour Department has been continuously working under the Factories Act to strengthen workplace safety measures and prevent accidents.
Regarding the Vedanta plant boiler explosion, Dewangan informed the Assembly that 25 workers were killed and 10 others were injured in the incident. Eight injured workers have since been discharged from hospitals, while two remain under medical treatment.
According to the minister, a technical investigation conducted by the Boiler Inspectorate found that the accident occurred due to "puffing" inside the boiler furnace. Following the incident, the Labour Department immediately suspended operations of Boiler No. 1 at the plant and registered a criminal case against the factory management in the Labour Court on June 27.
The minister also explained the causes of other industrial accidents mentioned during the discussion and detailed the action taken against the concerned industrial units.
Dewangan rejected the claim by legislators that more than 300 workers had died in industrial accidents. He reiterated that official records showed 122 industrial accident deaths in 2025 and 74 fatalities up to May 2026.
He also denied allegations that industries were failing to follow safety regulations and said hazardous factories are inspected through a randomised mechanism under the state's Ease of Doing Business policy to ensure compliance with prescribed standards.
The minister stated that whenever industrial accidents occur, factory inspectors conduct immediate investigations, criminal cases are filed before Labour Courts for violations, and prohibition orders are issued against hazardous workplaces wherever required.
He informed the Assembly that safety audits in highly hazardous factories are mandatory every two years through external agencies and annually through internal assessments. Other hazardous industrial units are also required to conduct safety evaluations according to applicable regulations.
Dewangan said the department conducted 964 factory inspections during 2025, following which 299 criminal cases were filed before Labour Courts. During the same period, the courts imposed penalties amounting to Rs 4.60 crore on factory managements.
Up to June 2026, the department carried out 484 inspections and filed 134 criminal cases. Labour Courts subsequently imposed fines totalling Rs 1.77 crore, he said.
The minister added that the department regularly conducts mock drills and safety training programmes to improve workers' awareness regarding workplace safety practices.
Rejecting allegations that accident investigations were conducted by outsourced personnel, Dewangan clarified that inspections related to safety and occupational health standards are carried out by authorised factory inspectors.
He asserted that, in view of the enforcement measures and safety initiatives undertaken by the department, it would be incorrect to claim that workers across Chhattisgarh were angry with the administration over the implementation of industrial safety regulations.
The Assembly discussion highlighted the continuing focus on industrial safety compliance in Chhattisgarh, with the government maintaining that strict inspections, legal action and safety audits remain central measures to prevent workplace accidents and protect workers in industrial establishments.
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