The Northern Power Distribution Company Limited, which supplies power to 17 districts in Telangana, is forced to pay heavy compensation to victims of electrocution even if the mishap occurred due to negligence of the latter.
The Company pays compensation even if the victim gets electrocuted while charging his low-cost variety mobile instrument.
Last year, it paid ₹1 crore as compensation to families of 25 persons who died of electric shock and nearly half the amount for animals lost for the same reason.
The victims include seven who died as their low-cost mobile instruments exploded when being charged.
Enhanced amount
“The NPDCL pays ₹ 4 lakh as ex gratia for a human life lost due to electric shock and ₹40,000 per animal lost due to electrocution.
The amount of ex gratia was enhanced from ₹ 2 lakh in 2016 to provide timely succour to the victim’s family,” observed NP Distribution Company Limited Adilabad Circle Superintending Engineer J.R. Chavan.
In 2016-17 as many as 77 cases of electrocution were reported in addition to the death of 158 cattle from the districts of Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial and Nirmal which had hitherto constituted undivided Adilabad.
This figure, which looks to be on the higher side, is actually misleading as in almost all cases the fatalities took place because of the fault of the victims.
