Dhanbad: Union minister of state for labour and employment (independent charge) Santosh Kumar Gangwar arrived in Dhanbad on Tuesday to participate in the 117th foundation day of Directorate General of Mines Safety, to be observed on Wednesday.

Arriving in the afternoon on a two-day tour, he met DGMS officials at the mine regulator's office here, before meeting representatives of various trade unions including All India Trade Union Congress, Central Industrial Trade Union, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh during which he discussed various issues of coal mine workers.

Later, accompanied by ministry of labour and employment joint secretary Kalpana Rajsinghot and BCCL chairman and MD Ajay Kumar Singh and other officials, Gangwar visited BCCL-owned Vishwakrma Open Cast project at Dhansar and Moonidih Colliery in Putki and interacted with workers.

At Vishwakarma Project he felicitated two women shovel operators-Ramrati Devi and Sharma Devi, both of whom were provided jobs on compassionate ground by BCCL in 2003 and 1998, respectively, after their husbands-Bhagwan Das Bhuian and Amrit Mal-died while still in the service of BCCL at the same mine.

In a brief interaction with the media during his visit to Vishwarkarma Project, Gangwar said, "We inspected the mine to assess safety provisions. We will also discuss all the issues with the colliery officials."

The minister will inaugurate a newly constructed auditorium on the DGMS office campus on Wednesday.

"The newly constructed Rs 7crore auditorium can seat 215 persons and is equipped with acoustics and proper lighting arrangement," said DGMS Region II director Sanjiban Roy.

Roy said the minister will participate in the 117 th foundation day of DGMS from 8.30am on Wednesday and leave Dhanbad for Ranchi around 11am.