Annamalai flays DMK for deaths of wiremen, demands safety gears

CHENNAI: TN BJP president K Annamalai on Wednesday criticised the DMK government for failing to ensure safety of the workforce of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) and said it was shocking to know the number of electrocutions of wiremen since the DMK came to power.

Five wiremen have been electrocuted in different parts of the state in the recent past, while several workers were admitted to the hospital and undergoing treatment, said the BJP chief in a statement and took a potshot at Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji that the minister was not concerned about the safety of workforce.

"Safety is of paramount importance for the workforce. The working condition of the wiremen should be audited periodically. The minister should understand the risks involved in attending the works in high tension lines and transformers without safety gears, " he said and demanded the ministry to procure quality spare parts, equipment and safety gears to prevent deaths of the EB workers.

He cautioned the government and the electricity minister that the BJP party would not remain silent, if they failed to ensure the safe working condition of the workforce.

"If the minister continues his attitude to put the lives of the EB workers at risk, the BJP party will not be a spectator to it, " Annamalai said in a press release.