Kejriwal meets heroic rat miners who refuse payment from central government

| Updated: 01 December, 2023 7:15 pm IST

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NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his gratitude on Friday to the rat miners whose heroic efforts played a pivotal role in rescuing 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara Bend Barkot Tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. The rat miners, employed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), met the Chief Minister at his residence in the Civil Lines area to share their remarkable story.

During the meeting, the rat miners expressed their commitment to saving lives and revealed that they had declined any financial assistance from the central government. Their sole motive, they emphasised, was to contribute to the nation by rescuing the 41 individuals caught in the tunnel.

The rat miners narrated the extraordinary feat of manually digging the last 10 metres of the tunnel with their bare hands, a revelation that left everyone astonished. The meeting was arranged by Delhi Minister Somnath Bharti, who heads the DJB, and took place at approximately 4 pm.

As the rat miners shared their experiences with Chief Minister Kejriwal, emotions ran high, leading to a heartfelt moment where the Delhi CM embraced each one of them. Minister Somnath Bharti praised the miners’ dedication and patriotism, highlighting that they worked tirelessly for three days without consuming any food to ensure the safety of the trapped workers.

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“L.R. Sharma and company, with a 40-year-old association with the DJB, employ these rat miners. Their refusal to accept money from the central government is a testament to their commitment to the cause. The miners clarified that they would be compensated by the families they work for on a contractual basis,” stated Minister Bharti.

Detailing the miners’ incredible dedication, Bharti noted, “They worked day and night for three days without eating anything, lying at a mere distance of an inch from their life-saving mission.” The rat miners returned to Delhi on Thursday night, and as of now, the Delhi government has not issued any official statement on the matter.