Labourer falls on machine, dies

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 21

A labourer working with the Sandholi-based unit of Mondelez in Baddi died after he fell on a  moulding machine on Friday. The deceased, Milkhi Ram, was taken to a private hospital, but was declared brought dead.  

He was from the Sarkaghat  area of Mandi district. The incident sparked a protest by Milkhi Ram’s  co-workers, who struck work and  raised  slogans against the plant management. 

They said the management had reduced the labour strength from 1,400 to 600 and despite asking for a helper for the past several days, the deceased  was compelled to handle the machine alone. 

“The negligence on the part of the plant management has cost Milkhi Ram his life. Officials cleaned the moulding  machine  to remove crucial evidence before the arrival of the police”, the workers alleged. 

Police personnel were deployed  outside the plant as well as  the hospital, where the body of the deceased has been kept for postmortem. 

The protesters demanded stern  action against the management. SP Rani Bindu said a case under Sections 304-A, 34, 336 of the IPC had been registered against the plant management.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Mondelez said, “We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague Milkhi Ram. Although he was  immediately rushed  to the  hospital,  he could not be saved. The company will extend all support to the family to help them cope with the loss.”