# Twelve Silkyara rat miners receive Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak 2026-08-05T23:12:23+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk At a New Delhi ceremony on Wednesday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari handed the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to twelve rat-hole miners credited with freeing 41 workers who had been sealed inside Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel since a landslide struck on 12 November 2023. Working shovels and drills by hand for close to a full day, the miners bored through the last 12 metres of what had grown into a roughly 57-metre debris wall to reach the trapped men. Alongside the medal and a certificate, each miner was handed a lump sum of Rs. 2 lakh. Gadkari credited close coordination among several agencies, NHIDCL, the Border Roads Organisation, the Army and the state government of Uttarakhand, for how the rescue strategy came together. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Recognising the miners is a straightforward, verifiable act, since the ministry's own statement names the recipients and the awards presented. Hindustan Times's account does not, however, cover what investigations found about the cause of the collapse or what safety measures have followed at similar tunnel projects since 2023. The cause of the 12 November 2023 collapse will be settled only by the investigation findings, if authorities publish them. ## Coverage - www.hindustantimes.com Tags: Nitin Gadkari, Silkyara Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/12-rat-miners-who-saved-41-trapped-workers-in-silkyara-awarded-sarvottam-jeevan-raksha-padak/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/12-rat-miners-who-saved-41-trapped-workers-in-silkyara-awarded-sarvottam-jeevan-raksha-padak/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.