PALAKKAD: In the tragic incident in which a house owner died due to electrocution while cleaning the precincts of his new house in Varode just two days before the house warming ceremony, the KSEB agreed to provide the family compensation from the Security Insurance Scheme.
This was decided at the conciliatory talks with the KSEB officials following a road blockade by the locals at Varode on the Cherpulassery-Ottappalam Road stating the person had died due to the lapse on the part of KSEB.
“The payment will be made from the Security Insurance Scheme of the KSEB and in most cases the maximum amount of R10 lakh will be paid. The post mortem report and the details of the accident will be intimated to Thiruvananthapuram,” said KSEB deputy chief engineer of Shoranur K B Swaminathan.
The blockade was staged at Varode by the locals with the ambulance carrying the body of the deceased at 11.45 am on Tuesday. The demand of the locals was that action should be initiated against the officials who committed the lapse, compensation to the family of the deceased and a job to one of the dependants of the deceased.
Subsequently, S Ajay Kumar, a member of the Scheduled Caste and Tribe Commission held talks with the KSEB officials. An assurance was also given to the locals that the state government will also provide additional financial assistance. The government will also consider the demand for providing a job to one of the dependants. Subsequently, the road blockade was called off.
It was on Monday morning that Jayakrishnan of Thottamkandath house in Varode was electrocuted from the electric post. Jayakrishnan was engaged in cleaning the precincts of his new residence, the house warming of which was scheduled to be held on May 2. He suffered a shock from the crossbar of the electric post.
Meanwhile, Swaminathan said the death of Jayakrishnan was a freak accident. The previous night a vehicle had hit the post and resulted in the post leaning to a side. But since it did not fall down, the public never noticed it. Jayakrishnan touched the crossbar while cleaning and it was ‘live’ at that moment.
An inquiry has been initiated by the Palakkad Electrical inspectorate in connection with the freak accident. The probe will be headed by Assistant Electrical Inspector P Noufal. The inspectorate will record the statements of the officials of KSEB and also the relatives of the deceased.
A police complaint has been lodged to trace the vehicle which had hit the electric post the previous night. A preliminary enquiry has already been completed by the KSEB.