TIRUNELVELI: A 52-year-old Tangedco contract worker died on Tuesday night after falling from an electric pole he was working on.
Alleging that no Tangedco official visited or called them, the worker’s relatives filed a police complaint and refused to receive his body from the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), demanding action against the officials and compensation on Wednesday.
The deceased, identified as P Pathirakali, had been working as a contract worker for Tangedco for the past 23 years. According to sources, a concrete pole in Balabagya Nagar near Thachanallur was damaged after tree branches fell on it.
Pathirakali was called on by Tangedco staff to replace the pole on Tuesday evening. While installing the new pole and rerouting the connections, he fell down and sustained severe head injuries. Pathirakali was then rushed to TvMCH in a load-auto but succumbed to his injuries later that night.
His son, P Pechimuthu (23), alleged negligence by Tangedco officials. “After my father was admitted, no official visited us at the hospital or even called us. Action should be taken against them, and we need compensation for my father’s death,” he said in a complaint to the city police.
When contacted, superintending engineer R Akilandeswari told TNIE assistant and executive engineers had contacted Pathirakali’s family over phone.
“Discussions are under way on how to support the family,” she said. Assistant Engineer Uma Maheswari said that the accident occurred at 4.15 pm and the worker was admitted to TvMCH at 5.10 pm.
Meanwhile, Tangedco contract workers attached to the CITU staged a protest outside the TvMCH mortuary, demanding Rs 25 lakh compensation for Pathirakali’s family. CITU district secretary R Murugan claimed that 14 contract workers had died on duty in the Tirunelveli region over the past two years.
“Negligence of the officials is the only reason for the death of Pathirakali, who was forced to risk his life for a meagre daily wage of Rs 400. There are around 25,000 contract workers in Tangedco across Tamil Nadu. The state government must regularise their employment,” he added.
23 years of service with power utility
The deceased worker, P Pathirakali, had been working for Tangedco on contract basis for the past 23 years. CITU district secretary R Murugan claimed that as many as 14 contract workers attached to the power utility have died while on duty in the Tirunelveli region over the past two years