Power unions seek adequate relief for injured electrician

Our Correspondent

Abohar, July 26

Members of the PSPCL Technical Services Union (TSU) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (TRANSCO) today staged a dharna in the PSPCL divisional office here. They were protesting to get adequate compensation for electrician Vicky (25) of Kandhwala Amarkot village whose arms had to be amputated to save his life.

TRANSCO state president Balihar Singh said that Vicky, engaged by a private contractor on July 16, sustained grievous burn injuries while rectifying a fault in Sidhu Nagari here. He was referred by the local civil hospital to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Hospital in Faridkot. This was the third such mishap in less than a year.

Balihar said the corporation had outsourced work to a former junior engineer, but the workers were not provided the prescribed safety gadgets. The union demanded that outsourcing be banned and contractors bear the cost of medical expenses of the victims.

PSPCL authorities had said that each worker had been provided accident/medical insurance worth Rs 1 lakh and Vicky would also get it. TSU activists said that in previous casualties, the medical expenses had crossed Rs 1 lakh.

“As Vicky may not be able to do any work after he is discharged from hospital, his family will find it difficult to arrange even two square meals a day. So his kin should be given a job,” the unions demanded in a memorandum submitted to Senior Executive Engineer Malkiat Singh Sidhu.