Disregarding norms, PDD fails to ensure safety of field staff 20-25 deaths every year, scores become handicapped

AVINAV VERMA

JAMMU: In utter disregard to set up norms to ensure safety of its field staff, the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD) has so far failed to provide safety equipments to its field staff, making them vulnerable towards any mishap while working on high tension power transmission lines, resulting into at least 20 deaths every year, even as hundred of them are left handicapped for the rest of their life.
As per official records more than 400 daily wagers in the state have so far lost their lives after electrocution, besides scores of daily wagers have also got their body parts amputated after electrocution during the last 17 years.
Sources within the department told that the directions had been passed to all the field engineers to ensure that the workers must wear safety equipments including insulated hamlets, insulated gloves and screw driver during work on high tension transmission lines or changing the phase of feeder transformers, but same were hardly being followed.
They further said that the state government has been releasing around Rs 50,000 annually to each electrical division for purchasing of safety equipments but the heads of various divisions of PDD generally avoided purchasing equipments, owing to which the funds went waste.
“If ever the department purchases the safety equipments, it does not make it sure that same are put to proper use and provided to the field staff”, an official seeking anonymity said.
In absence of safety equipments, a daily wager Virendra son of Sanjhi Ram resident of Miran Sahib sustained serious injures due shock last week while repairing transmission line in the Trikuta Nagar area of Jammu.
He is getting medical treatment on the bed number-155 of the emergency ward in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), Jammu. “He has sustained serious injuries in spinal cord,” his colleague told The News Now.
The state is yet to forget the agony of Sham Lal, whose both arms were amputated after electrocution in 2012. The department had provided compensation to the family and job to his wife, but even she is not getting the wages regularly.
While criticizing the callous attitude of department, All Jammu and Kashmir PDD Daily-wagers Union, member, Ashish Verma said, “If the department strictly provides safety equipments to the field staff these incidents may be averted.”
“Every year around 20-25 PDD employees lost their live and some become handicapped. The PDD has done nothing so far for safety of 3400 daily wagers. Moreover, they are not even being paid salaries,” he said.
When contacted Superintendent Engineer PDD, Sudhir Gupta said that the department provide safety equipments to the employees. He added that even government has purchased more equipment. However, he refused to answer further queries.