Cuttack: A day after 10 persons died and several others sustained injuries when a bus came in contact with a 11-KV live wire at Mendharajpur under Golanthara police limits in Ganjam, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Tuesday directed the director of medical education and training (DMET) to pay an interim compensation to the injured within a week.
A division bench of the commission comprising its chairperson Justice Bimal Prasad Das and member Asim Amitav Das directed the DMET to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25,000 to each of the injured besides ensuring proper medical intervention to them.
The commission’s directive came while adjudicating a plea filed by rights activist Prabir Kumar Das. The rights activist had sought the commission’s intervention into the frequent incidents of electrocutions in the state.
Das had also informed the commission that a similar kind of mishap was averted Monday. “A bus with several passengers on board was heading to Dagajhara beach in Balasore district Monday. The vehicle was about to come in contact with an 11KV wire when the alert driver prevented the mishap by stopping the vehicle,” the rights activist said, highlighting the electrocutions.
Expressing concern over the frequent electrocutions on roads, the commission asked the Nesco, Southco, Energy and Transport departments to furnish reports in this regard.
Meanwhile, the OHRC lauded Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s announcement of Rs 2 lakh compensation to the next of the deceased kin as well as free treatment to the injured.