Attributing the electrocution of six bus passengers at Bhuban on Tuesday to various administrative lapses, the Congress called a Bhuban Bandh for 12 hours on Wednesday.
The agitators held the local police, CESU and Transport Department responsible for the death of six persons in the bus that caught fire after coming in contact with live wire.
Notably, the ill-fated bus ‘Sanyasi’ met with the mishap after it was diverted to ply in the narrow post office lane, as the NH 53 was blocked for hours by irate people over another accident where a speeding truck had run over a Home Guard near the Bhuban Police Station. It was the prime duty of the police to keep the NH free from all kinds of illegal obstructions. Besides, the 11-KV electric wires were allowed to be hung through a thickly populated narrow lane, where a school exists. The 11- KV line generally has to be hung 18-22 feet high from the ground but the wires that caused the mishap were hanging just at a height of 10 feet. The Cesu was totally callous regarding the precarious condition of the live wires since long.
The buses which are to remain within a height of 8-10 ft become taller when frights are loaded on the roof. Sanyasi bus was of 11 feet high with luggage on roof and the bus driver diverted route without taking prior permission of police and bus owner. Surprisingly, the bus driver could not locate the live 11-KV electric wires, even at 4 pm in daytime.