The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has constituted a committee of senior officers from both Union Territories to ensure effective implementation of the Electricity Act, 2003, and the Central Electricity Authority (Measures Relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010. The Court observed that deaths caused by failure to follow electricity supply measures infringe upon the constitutional rights of citizens. The court awarded compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of a casual labourer of the Power Development Department who died due to negligence on the part of officials of the department.
There have been lapses on the part of the electricity department in the installation of transmission lines and transformers. This has resulted in cases of electrocution and bodily injuries due to electric shocks across the UTs. The safety measures, which are supposed to be provided while providing robust electricity infrastructure, are often ignored. These lapses have resulted in the loss of precious lives and injuries to people, including children. The flouting of statutory regulations with impunity is the root cause of such accidents and deaths.
There are laws and regulations that require employers to provide a safe working environment that are often not enforced, and daily wagers are left without proper protection. They receive lower wages than regular employees for the same work, and they do not receive any benefits such as a provident fund, a gratuity, medical benefits, etc. They work in hazardous conditions and are often not provided with proper safety equipment or training, which puts their lives at risk. As rightly observed by the HC, if the death of an employee is due to the negligence of Government officials or departments, then it is the responsibility of the Government to provide compensation to their family members.
The Government needs to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of human lives by enforcing laws and regulations related to workplace safety. The humanitarian quotient must be invoked to help the victim’s family.
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