Hours after two girls were electrocuted in Kondungaiyur on Wednesday, the Electricity Department placed eight persons, including three officials, under suspension over the incident and constituted a five-member committee to tour the entire city to supervise precautionary measures to be taken in order to avoid such incidents.
Electricity Minister P. Thangamani said three officials and five workers were placed under suspension for failing to ensure the safety of the general public.
He said the committee would visit the entire city in the next two to three days to check if all precautionary measures were in place and to ensure that about 40,000 pillar boxes were safely maintained.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami condoled their death and announced a solarium of ₹3 lakh to families. On behalf of the Electricity Department, a solatium of ₹2 lakh has also been granted to the kin of each of the victims.
The Electricity Minister also called upon the general public to alert officials of the Electricity Department in case they sight electric wires immersed in water. “The people’s safety is paramount for us,” he said.
When persistent reporters questioned him about his statement earlier that all precautionary measures had been taken, Mr. Thangamani said, “If people had informed us, we would have taken action. Even now, we have immediately placed officials and workers under suspension over the incident.” He also rejected claims that the public had in fact alerted officials. “We checked and there was no such call. Only after the incident were we alerted,” he claimed. Rejecting claims that Ministers were not visiting inundated areas for relief measures, Mr. Thangamani said Ministers O.S. Manian and M.C. Sampath were visiting Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts respectively.
The Chief Minister had to be in Salem since he had a prior appointment and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam had already arrived in Chennai on Wednesday evening, the Minister said.