Electricity Minister rejects KSEB’s vague report on Midhun’s death; seeks names of guilty officials
The Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty rejected the KSEB's report and demanded a detailed report identifying responsible officials, following the electrocution death of a student due to lapses in maintaining safe electric lines near a school cycle shed.
The Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty rejected the KSEB's report and demanded a detailed report identifying responsible officials, following the electrocution death of a student due to lapses in maintaining safe electric lines near a school cycle shed.
The Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty rejected the KSEB's report and demanded a detailed report identifying responsible officials, following the electrocution death of a student due to lapses in maintaining safe electric lines near a school cycle shed.
Thiruvananthapuram: Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty has rejected the report submitted by KSEB’s Chief Safety Commissioner over the death of Midhun, a class 8 student at Thevalakkara Boys School in Kollam district, by electrocution. The report by Commissioner M A Praveen cited lapses on the part of the KSEB, but did not name any officers as being involved in the tragedy.
The minister, who rejected the incomplete report, issued a directive to the KSEB Chairman to submit a detailed report within a week identifying the officials who had a role in the incident. “We will examine the lapses mentioned in the Commissioner’s report. However, the report should have named the KSEB personnel responsible for the errors. We will take stern action against them,” he said.
Main findings of the report
The Safety Commissioner’s report said that eight years ago, the school management did not obtain prior clearance from the KSEB when it built a cycle shed beneath the electric line, which caused Midhun’s death. The report also said that the electric line is not at a safe height from either the ground level or the metal sheet roof of the cycle shed. The KSEB officials erred in not taking action on this matter, despite having noticed it. The officials should have solved the issue by serving a notice to the school manager, the report said.
According to the Commissioner, the present assistant engineer could not be faulted, as the shed was built before his term. Incidentally, two days before Midhun’s death, the assistant engineer had directed the school manager to install a new electric post at the spot to raise the power line. However, the manager replied that the directive to install a new post after demolishing a portion of the cycle shed had to be discussed by the management committee, and its decision would be conveyed to the assistant engineer.
In a related development, the KSEB sanctioned an additional amount of ₹5 lakh as relief to Midhun’s family. The KSEB had earlier allotted ₹5 lakh as immediate financial aid.