The Odisha Human Rights Commission recommended a compensation of ₹15 lakh to a youth who lost an arm after suffering an electric shock during his apprenticeship in the North Eastern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha Limited (NESCO).
Pabitra Kumar Barik was doing some repair work on an 11-KV feeder at Dhamnagar sub-station on April 13, 2015, when a high-voltage electric shock led to the amputation of his right arm.
Company’s contention
The victim moved the OHRC seeking compensation. During the hearing, the NESCO authorities said since the victim was engaged as an apprentice, he was supposed to observe the maintenance and electrical work and never authorised to do the repairing work. “The victim, on his own, climbed up the pole and interfered with the live-line as a result which the electrical accident occurred,” they argued.
The OHRC, however, rejected the company’s argument saying he was pressured to take up the repair work by a line man. “The commission is of the considered view that the victim as an apprentice trainee was not supposed to attend to the repairing work. But he was pressured by one line man to take up the repair work by climbing one electric pole. Therefore, merely on the basis of the fact that he was not supposed to attend to the repairing work and yet he took it up, it cannot be concluded that the victim had contributed to anything that led to the accident,” OHRC member Asim Amitabh Dash said.
“The electrocution occurred due to the charging of 11-KV feeder while the victim’s work was going on. Thus it is a clear case of negligence on the part of the employees of the NESCO utility... the employee is vicariously liable for any damages caused on account of negligence,” he said.
