CM sets up committee to investigate increase in electrocution deaths

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today formed a committee under a retired Gauhati High Court judge to investigate the causes behind steep rise in electrocution deaths across the state in the last few months.
According to an official release, the Chief Minister today entrusted retired Justice of Gauhati High Court HN Sarma with the responsibility of investigating the incidents of deaths due to electrocution at different places of the state.
"If any APDCL employee or official is found guilty of negligence in duty, for which these unfortunate incidents of electrocution deaths have occurred, then those persons would have to face punitive action," Sonowal warned while reviewing the situation.

When contacted to clarify the number of exact deaths by electrocution, an Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) Spokesperson said: "I know the number, but I cannot tell you. I do not have the approval."
According to reports, at least 30 people, including four in Guwahati, have lost their lives due to electrocution across the state in the last few weeks.
In today's meeting, the Chief Minister directed immediate release of ex-gratia to the next of kin of deceased in the electrocution incidents and asked the APDCL engineers to regularly monitor all areas under them for eliminating snags and lacunae in power transmission.

He also directed to start emergency service for addressing faults in power supply in other cities of the state like Silchar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Tezpur and Tinsukia on the lines of Guwahati.

Sonowal announced constitution of 158 Sub-divisional Supervision and Advisory Committees for electrical Sub-divisions of the state.
In view of the rising incidents, he ordered to immediately fill up vacant posts of 3,000 linemen and helpers in the Power Department.
Saying that all officials of APDCL must commit themselves to improve functioning, Sonowal warned that the government would not tolerate any such unfortunate incident where electrocution claims life of innocent people due to APDCL staff's negligence.