Electrocution death: Delhi govt tells LG to act; BJP says bid to divert attention

In the wake of the death of a construction worker at the under-construction block of Lok Nayak (LNJP) hospital on Sunday morning — the second such case at a Public Works Department (PWD) construction site leading to death in this week — PWD minister Atishi on Sunday slammed lieutenant governor VK Saxena for “remaining silent” and not taking action against the “negligent officers of PWD”.

Atishi said that till the court hears the matter of the Union government’s services ordinance, the power over officers lies with LG and demanded that immediate action be initiated against errant officers.

Despite repeated attempts, officials in the LG office did not comment on the matter.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, saying it was only trying to deflect the blame of the incident in the garb of litigation over the services ordinance.

In a letter to Saxena on Sunday, Atishi said that two such instances have come to light in the last two days where PWD officials have been found negligent, leading to the death of an autorickshaw driver in Harsh Vihar and a construction worker in the Lok Nayak hospital.

Police said an 18-year-old labourer Sujeet Kumar died after suffering an electric shock in the basement of an under-construction block at the Delhi government’s Lok Nayak Hospital on Sunday.

Earlier on Thursday, a 51-year-old autorickshaw driver drowned after his vehicle allegedly fell into a ditch filled with rainwater in north-east Delhi’s Harsh Vihar.

PWD officials did not respond to the queries regarding the cause behind the electrocution on Sunday but said that the matter was being probed.

“It has been more than two days after the death of an autorickshaw driver due to the negligence of officers but you have neither spoken about it nor have you initiated any action in the matter. Despite this accident, you remain silent,” Atishi wrote in the letter addressed to Saxena.

Atishi said that the central government’s ordinance has provided power over services to LG and all the powers to suspend or transfer the government officers were with him.

“Over the last eight years, the power over services has remained with LG but no action has been taken against officers for negligence and wrongdoings. This is why the powers to act against the officers should be with the elected government and we have approached the court over this ‘black ordinance’, the minister added.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said Atishi’s letter to the LG Saxena was an effort to divert public attention from the AAP government’s failure, and “more so her own PWD’s failure”.

“Two days ago, an auto driver drowned in an water-filled pit at a PWD construction site, and today a labourer died at a PWD monitored construction site at Lok Nayak Hospital. People of Delhi know that PWD is fully controlled by Atishi. She should tell the people when she last inspected construction sites of PWD. She is just trying to find a scapegoat,” he said.

Sachdeva said that if Atishi knows which PWD officials are responsible for the two deaths then instead of writing “politically motivated letters” she should recommend suspension of errant officials to the PWD secretary.