‘Will provide jobs even if CESC doesn’t’: Mamata’s assurance and a Rs 2 lakh compensation for kin of those who died of electrocution
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announces compensation for the families and those who died of electrocution in Kolkata amid torrential rain that submerged most parts of the city.
An electricity distribution box, taped by CESC to caution people, at an inundated street in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation and a job for the next in kin of those who died of electrocution in Kolkata following torrential rain.
During a Durga Puja inauguration at her own Assembly constituency Bhawanipur, Banerjee said, “For the people who died due to electrocution yesterday, the state government will provide Rs 2 lakh to each of their families. Money cannot replace lives, but even if CESC does not provide jobs, we will ensure special employment is given to the family members.”
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
She said, “I have been working for the past two days. Water has receded quite a bit, though there is significant flooding in the Ganga. Apart from a few low-lying areas, most of the water has drained out. Nature is not in our hands.”
Banerjee, however, added, “Kolkata Port, Farakka Barrage, Damodar Valley Corporation’s Maithon; they have not been dredged in the last 20 years. Whenever it rains in Bihar or UP, water flows into West Bengal. We have to manage everything ourselves.”
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the CESC, which supplies electricity in Kolkata and its surroundings, said in a statement, “We have investigated eight such (electrocution) cases. We found that in five of these cases, the deaths were caused by electrocution from faulty wiring within homes or a factory. The rest of the three cases happened outside. Two of them were due to electrocution from touching street light poles. These street light poles are generally not owned or maintained by CESC. The other case was from a kiosk near a traffic signal.”
Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal.
Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
