Kolkata electrocution deaths: Calcutta HC seeks reports from private power utility

Kolkata, Sep 25 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday sought a report from the Sanjiv Goenka-owned private power generation-cum-distribution utility, CESC Ltd, on multiple electrocution deaths in and around Kolkata.

The deaths, a total of 10 in West Bengal, including eight in Kolkata, happened after the victims came in contact with the naked electricity wires submerged in the waterlogged streets in different pockets of the city following rain earlier this week.

CESC enjoys a monopoly in power distribution in Kolkata as well as in the adjacent district of Howrah.

Amid Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee squarely blaming CESC for the electrocution deaths, the Calcutta High Court took a suo motu cognisance in the matter, and a case was registered at the division bench of Calcutta High Court's Acting Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Apurba Sinha Roy.

The matter came up for a hearing on Thursday, and at the end of the hearing, the division bench asked CESC Limited to file a detailed report on the electrocution death by the next date of hearing.

The division bench, at the same time, directed Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to file a report by the same date on the initiatives taken by the corporation to ensure the effective functioning of the city's sewerage system to prevent waterlogging.

At the same time, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court also directed the state government to clarify to the court the state’s stand on compensation for the families of the electrocution victims.

Incidentally, on Wednesday only, Chief Minister Banerjee had announced a compensation of Rs 2,00,000 for the families of each of the electrocution victims. She had also raised a demand that the CESC Limited should pay a compensation of Rs 5,00,000 to the families of each of the electrocution victims, besides offering jobs to one member from each such family.

She also said that in case CESC Limited refused to offer the jobs, the same will be offered by the state government.

--IANS

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