Father-Son Pic (new) http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukextra2/4707312974/
Deaths due to Power Dept negligence and the level of Compensation paid It appears that Electricity Dept goes by it’s rules which may have been framed many years ago. The level of Compensation it pays i.e. Rs. 2 lakhs for the loss of life seems too low or outdated. It simply does not make sense when young people keep dying due to the department’s fault or negligence and the paltry amount paid as compensation. Deaths due to natural calamity etc , the victims/ next of kin get upto to Rs.2 lakhs compensation by the Govt. Deaths due to Govt. or Electricity Dept’s own fault get the same level of compensation? (I am sure, if this is fought in the court of law, Dept would be made to pay lot more) It also appears that the Dept just pays the Std/ fixed amount of compensation and close the book once for all without even taking preventive measures so as to avoid such deaths in future. No amount of compensation can bring the dead back but there should be some moral obligations or ethics to be followed when it comes to payment of compensation particularly when a death occurs due dept’s own negligence etc Looking all around, I would say the Electricity Dept should raise it present level of compensation by at least 2.5 fold i.e. 5 lakhs per death What about compensation from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund ? I think I remember, CM announced (on retuning back to Goa early Sept last year) some compensation from his (CMRF) to the next of kin of Morjim twin deaths in the family. I somehow even remember CM announcing Rs. 1 lakh each (I could be wrong ) But I am told they never got anything from CMRF However, they did receive the std paltry compensation from power Dept in about two months time. We have personally visited Mandren yesterday where 30 years old woman died of electrocution. It took us long tine to get there (we never been Mandrem before), we were almost lost somewhere near Palotti House. Eventually we were there using some internal/hilly roads to reach Pernem Road, Mandren and then Sawantwaddo. (hope our efforts bear some fruits) We saw the situation there. Loose/hanging overhead wires still needs ‘guard loops’ in many areas. As seen in the pics supplied yesterday – see links below Hoping someone out there (including Chief Electrical Engineer, Braganza, see cc) will take up this matter so as to bring in some changes (including revision of compensation levels) and improvements thus avoiding future incidents of loss of innocent lives etc. We have a right to live, please don’t take it away from us. Note: The newly replaced wires are passing over the roof of the house (almost touching the roof tiles) next to the accident spot, to the left of the well (with new roof tiles). Don’t know how this was allowed/done by the power dept. Mandrem accident pics – June 2010 http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2010-June/194506.html Morjim accident pics – Sept 2009 http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-September/182807.html cc nbraganz...@yahoo.co.in/ elec2...@bsnl.in Parrikar H/GT etc joego...@yahoo.co.uk for Goa & NRI related info... http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/GOAN-NRI/ For Goan Video Clips http://youtube.com/joeukgoa In Goa, Dial 1 0 8 For Hospital, Police, Fire etc