India News | Cong Leader Demands Aid for Kin of Chamoli Electrocution Victims, Case Against Maintenance Firms

Dehradun, Jul 31 (PTI) Former Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal on Monday demanded compensation to the next of kin of victims of the Chamoli sewage treatment plant electrocution incident.

The delay in the announcement of the aid reflects the insensitivity of the state government, he said at a press conference here.

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Godiyal said the blacklisting of the joint venture companies responsible for the electrification system at the STP as recommended in a magisterial probe recently is not enough and their owners should at least be booked for causing death by negligence.

"We had demanded that families of the victims should be given a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each apart from a government job to one family member. It is nearly a fortnight since the incident occurred but the state government is yet to announce compensation," the Congress leader under whose leadership the party contested the last assembly polls in the state in 2022 said.

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"This shows how little the state government cares for the lives of the people of the state," Godiyal added.

Electric current ran through the steps and railings leading to the STP located on the banks of the Alaknanda River in Chamoli on July 18-19, killing 16 people and injuring 11. The Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited said the incident occurred after power was restored to the STP following a 20-minute shutdown for some repairs.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)