Electrocution sees no end, APCC demands Das to quit

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 8: Electrocution in the State sees no end, so does criticism for State Power Minister Pallab Lochan Das.

With three cases of electrocution in the past 24 hours and five in the last three days, the total number of death due to electrocution in the State since June 13 is over ten. According to reports, a student Netrojit Biswas died on Saturday due to electrocution in Hojai where he accidentally touched a wire that was meant to dispel elephants. A girl, Diritri Deka, of Lakhimpur met her death when she came in contact with an electric wire on Friday night. She was a student of TDC first semester. An LP School student also died of electrocution at Jagoriad on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) demanded resigtion of the State Power Minister. In a statement issued to the press on Saturday, the APCC said: "It's due to negligence on the part of the State Power Department as many as five students had to lose their lives at Dimow, Lakhimour, Jagiroad and Hojai in the past 48 hours. For such deaths the Power Minister is solely responsible. We want his immediate resigtion. If he has any self-respect, he should quit the post immediately. People died of electrocution during the artificial floods in the city. He learnt no lesson from that, leading to five more deaths in the past 48 hours. In the past 30 days more than ten people died of electrocution. Even after that the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleague Pallab Lochan Das aren't worried. Instead of making instant announcement of Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, the Chief Minister should do something tangible that can prevent deaths due to electrocution. Since Das is the Minister of State, the Chief Minister holds the Power portfolio. In that way, the Chief Minister himself is responsible for the death of people due to electrocution. We appeal to the Chief Minister to lead the State Power Department in the right direction so that it can erase its 'killer image'."