Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Aug 10: A 24-year-old contractual labourer was electrocuted during the laying of electric cables in, Bari Brahmana area of Samba district today, officials said.
He was identified as Sabir Hussain, a resident of Nagrota area of Jammu. He was working as contractual labourer with PDD at Bari Brahmana. While working of laying of electric cables at Bari Brahmana he got electrocuted sparking protests by his relatives who blocked the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for over two hours in the evening, resulting in a massive traffic jam, the officials said.
However, the protest culminated peacefully after Samba Deputy Commissioner, Abhishek Sharma along with Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Benam Tosh visited the scene and persuaded the protesters to disperse.
“An inquiry will be carried out into the incident to fix responsibility. An immediate relief of Rs one lakh was given to the family while the process was initiated to provide them an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh in accordance with the norms,” Sharma said.
PDP vice president, Hamid Choudhary said it is a matter of investigation how the electricity supply was restored when the labourers were busy working on the electric wires.
“Hussain’s death is the result of negligence on the part of the Power Development Department,” he said, demanding the registration of a murder case against the concerned official and a Government job to the family of the deceased.
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