Labour unions and NGOs on Tuesday alleged that a government study on better working conditions in asbestos factories was partially funded by the asbestos industry itself. Addressing a press conference here, activist Madhumita Dutta said the documents obtained by her through the Right to Information Act reveals that the asbestos industry in the country added Rs 16 lakh to the government’s allocation of Rs 44 lakh for a study by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) to “specifically indicate how technology has made working conditions (in asbestos factories) better.”Demanding a ban on asbestos including chrysotile asbestos, like the one imposed by 40 countries across the world, the 13 labour unions and NGOs released a dossier, “A Fox in the Hen House: Made-to-Order Science and India’s Asbestos Policy”.“The Government is conducting the study merely to justify its position that asbestos does not pose an unmanageable risk,” said Dutta, adding that the industry was trying to use “manufacturing science to back its pre-determined position to fight global regulation on the hazardous fibre.”The group quoted a WHO study which estimates that 125 million people are exposed globally to all forms of asbestos. “The made-to-order study, partly funded by the asbestos industry, is being tweaked by a review committee some of whose members are representatives of asbestos industry,” the activist alleged.The unions alleged that the industry was being consulted by the Government at every step and the study would be presented at the next meeting of the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention in March 2008 to rationalise its third veto against the UN action on white asbestos. The minutes of the Review Committee dated December 19, 2006 reads: “The report will be finalised after due discussions with the asbestos industry.” Another meeting minutes dated April 18, 2007 reports that “.the results of the study which was underway could not be shared (with public) till the same was finalised.”“Clearly, a scientific study that is finalised after discussion with the corporate interests is grossly conflict of interest ridden and deserves to be scrapped,” said Gopal Krishna of Ban Asbestos Network of India.
