Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) was once again found negligent within a period of three months. The Vizianagaram district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed the CMD and the other officials of the EPDCL to pay Rs 3.05 lakh as compensation, besides a litigation cost to the family of B. Venkata Ramana alias Venkata Naidu, 43, who died after being electrocuted by a live wire that snapped and fell on the ground while he was working in a farm field at Seemanaiduvalasa under Jiyymmmavalasa mandal in Vizianagaram district on March 16, 2016.
Venkata Ramana was a daily wage agricultural worker and he was a native of Seemanai-duvalasa. Venkata Ramana used to earn Rs 300 a day and he was the only bread winner of his family which included his wife B. Hemalatha, children B. Lokesh and B. Gayatri and his father B.S. Naidu. While Venkata Ramana was working in K. Lakshmi’s farm field, he came in contact with a live electrical wire, which had snapped and was lying on the field. Ramana sustained severe burn injuries and died on the spot. Based on a complaint from Ramana’s family, the Chinamerangi police have registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC. Blaming the EPDCL for their negligence that led to death of Ramana, the family members of the deceased approached the consumer disputes redressal forum seeking a compensation of Rs 10 lakh from the EPDCL citing that they were deprived of Ramana’s love and his future support.
However, the APEPDCL has filed a counter complaint saying that there was no negligence on their part, citing that Ramana had on his own tried to move the service electrical wire from the field, which had snapped and had fallen on the ground and that he sustained injuries and died. They claimed that neither Ramana nor the others had informed the EPDCL about shifting the snapped wire to safer place and there was no negligence on their part and that the EPDCL was not liable to pay any damages to the complainants. The Vizianagaram district consumer disputes rederessal forum led by its president T. Srirama Murthy and member K. Sivarama Krishna held that the APEPDCL was liable to pay compensation after a detailed investigation revealed that the discom’s negligence led to the death of Ramana. The forum has asked the discom to pay Rs 3.05 lakh as compensation to Ramana’s family by May 4, 2017.
