BENGALURU: Taking up suomoto case against the state government and the authorities of the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) based on the media reports about the death of a woman and her nine-months-old baby due to electrocution after they came in contact with a live wire in Kadugodi police station limits in Bengaluru, the Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil directed the Superintendent of Police of Lokayukta to conduct investigation and submit the report by December 8, 2023, the next date of hearing.
Soundarya (23) and her daughter Suviksha who arrived in Bengaluru after celebrating Deepavali in Tamil Nadu were electrocuted by stepping on the live electrical wire lying on the pavement near Hope Farm Junction on Whilefield Main Road on November 19.
Directing the Registry to issue notice to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department and authorities of BESCOM including its Managing Director to submit their response, the Lokayukta Justice Patil said, "The object of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act is to ensure good governance in the state administration and also to prevent maladministration. The negligence on the part of the concerned authorities who are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring proper maintenance of the electrical line, in my considered view, falls within the meaning of 'maladministration' under Section 2(10) of the Act".
"The accident abstract found on the website of BESCOM itself shows that from 2015-16 to 2021-22, on an average 200 to 280 accidents have been reported every year. Thus, prima facie there has been negligence on the part of the officers/officials entrusted with the responsibility of maintenance of the electrical line
In my considered view, non-maintenance of electrical lines in a reasonable condition would be a serious dereliction of duty. Such derelictions will prove fatal to the lives of people. It is well settled that the Right to Life means quality of life. Nobody's life can be safe without there being a proper electrical line...", the Lokayukta said.
Lokayukta further said that it is well known that the BESCOM is collecting electrical charges from the public. The charges are paid by the public in one form or the other expecting corresponding facilities from the authorities to make their life comfortable and hassle-free in their movement.Many times we also see very old and dilapidated electrical wires connected to the poles are not changed. Therefore, the matter requires a detailed investigation to fix responsibility on the concerned officials/officers who are responsible for the non-maintenance of electrical lines properly and to find a permanent solution to such problems, Lokayukta observed.
The Lokayukta also said that it is needless to mention that it is the prime duty of the electricity supply companies to keep all the electrical lines in good condition to enable the members of the public to walk freely without any fear.
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