After a lineman had a fatal fall from an electricity pole, his family members and local residents of Bindukhatta blocked the national highway in protest demanding adequate compensation for the bereaved family. The protesters first went with the lineman’s body to the electricity sub-station where they protested for about four hours and later blocked the national highway for more than half an hour. After talks with department officials along with the MlA and others, the protesters relented after an agreement was reached regarding compensation and pension to the bereaved family.
According to sources, on Tuesday, Bindukhatta resident electricity lineman Chandan Singh Mehra fell down from an electricity pole which caused his death. By the next morning the anger of the family members and locals rose to such a level that at about 8:30 AM they went along with Mehra’s body to the power sub station in lalkuan. Placing the dead body in the sub station, the gathering started raising slogans against the electricity department.
After a loud protest lasting for about an hour, the department’s executive engineer Amit Anand, local MlA Navin Dumka, former cabinet minister Harish Chandra Durgapal, Nainital dairy association head Bharat Negi and the police circle officer among others reached the sub-station to talk with the protesters. However, the protesters did not agree and continued their demonstration. After this, the officials and public representatives went along with the bereaved family members to the Tehsil where talks began with joint magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar acting as the mediator.
During the talks which lasted for about two hours, the locals demanded that the area’s electricity contractor Sanjay Pande be brought to the site. However, the officials stated that Pande was admitted in a private hospital in Haldwani for treatment of a cardiac problem. Angered by this, the locals went to the highway where the placed the body on the road and blocked traffic in protest. The protesters alleged that electricity workers are made to work without any safety equipment which was the main reason for the untimely death of linemen like Mehra. Seeing the angry protesters block the road, the local shopkeepers also closed their shops. At about 1 PM the protesters relented after a written agreement was reached with the authorities.
According to the agreement, the bereaved family was given a cheque for Rs 80,000 as immediate assistance. It was decided that within 10 days, the department will provide a further Rs 3.20 lakh.
In addition to this bereaved family will also be provided Rs two lakh Employee State Insurance (ESI) and provident fund. The department also assured all possible assistance to the Mehra family.