Panic over electric shock from dam towers: Oppn

Shimla, March 16

The Opposition today raised the issue of panic and fear among the people of six panchayats in the Gohar area of Mandi district due to several incidents of farmers and villagers suffering electric shocks because of the towers of the Parbati Kol Dam Transmission Line.

The issue was raised in the Assembly by Jai Ram Thakur during question hour in the Vidhan Sabha today. “Despite the residents of many villages falling in the panchayats of Saroha, Vahva, Kharsi and Bairsi suffering electric shocks, no efforts have been made by the Power Department to get the problem rectified,” he said. Thakur demanded that adequate compensation must be given to the farmers whose houses or fields were coming in the range of these towers so that they can relocate and get rehabilitated. Thakur demanded that the department should constitute a team so that they could visit the area from where complaints were being received and rectify the fault.

Replying to the query, Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania informed the house that a team had already visited the villages from where complaints had been received on March 15, 2013. “Barring two cases there was no problem of electrocution and the Parbati Kol Dam Transmission Company Ltd had been directed to address the problem. Moreover earthing of six towers had been done so the problem has been addressed,” he said.

Hearing the minister’s reply, Nachan MLA Vinod Kumar too accused the government of being indifferent to the problems faced by the locals. “In most cases, the transmission line had been laid and towers erected without the approval of the land owners while others had been provided a very meager compensation,” he pointed out.

It was on the insistence of both, Thakur and Kumar that Pathania agreed to send a team to re-inspect the area and address problem of the villagers.

In reply to a query by Suresh Bhardwaj about expenditure incurred on repairing and construction new houses of minister, the government informed that Rs 5.71 crore was spent. “Out of this, the maximum of Rs 3.45 crore was spent on officers’ residences, Rs 1.32 crore on ministers’ bungalows and Rs 38.89 lakh on houses of chairmen and vice chairmen.

In sharp contrast to this, a mere Rs 4.13 crore has been spent on quarters of Class III and IV employees.

Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal pointed out that the money spent should be proportionate to the number of houses as the staff quarters were much more but inadequate amount was spent on it. Bhardwaj too pointed out that the condition of staff quarters was pitiable.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/community/panic-over-electric-shock-from-dam-towers-oppn/377990.html