Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the upcoming by-elections to the Nagrota Assembly Constituency, Ms. Devyani Rana, today met the grieving family of Shubham Manhas, a daily wager with the Power Development Department (PDD), who tragically lost his life while performing his duty.
Ms Rana met the grieving family, other mourners and people from the area at the National Highway where they were staging protests over the incident, seeking accountability for negligence. She also joined the mourners at the cremation ground where the mortal remains of the deceased were consigned to flames amid mantras.
At his residence, Ms Devyani Rana expressed her profound sorrow over the tragic death, offered condolences and expressed solidaritry. She said the loss of Shri Manhas is a huge tragedy for the family and no words can truly ease their pain.
She prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss. Interacting with the mourners, Ms. Devyani Rana expressed deep concern over the growing occurrences of such tragic mishaps involving power department field staff.
She said that these repeated incidents point to serious gaps in safety protocols and must be examined at the highest level to evolve a robust and foolproof system that ensures the protection of workers performing high-risk duties.
Ms. Rana emphasized that the safety of maintenance and technical staff cannot be compromised under any circumstances, and called for immediate corrective and preventive measures to minimize such accidents in the future.
She reiterated that those working tirelessly to maintain essential services deserve a safe and secure work environment, equipped with proper gear, training, and supervision. She further urged the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to this unfortunate incident, to determine accountability and prevent recurrence.
Ms. Rana also sought immediate and adequate compensation for the bereaved family, along with all possible institutional support to help them rebuild their lives in this hour of immense loss.