Odisha largely free from caste, religion resonance in electoral politics
Caste calculation, religious affiliation has never emerged as a tool to woo voters.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from the Energy Department principal secretary over the electrocution death of three tribal women from a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) in the Keonjhar district of the state.
The apex rights panel passed the order on Friday on a petition filed by rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy. The Commission issued a notice seeking the ATR from the authorities within six weeks.
The three women from the primitive Juanga tribe had come in contact with live electric wires when they went inside a jungle near their Tangiri Juangsahi village in the Telkoi area on 22 October this year to graze their goats. The trio had died on the spot. The live wires were dangling in the air and the victims could not notice the death trap, the petition stated.
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If the Electricity Department had undertaken proper maintenance work in restoring the sagging line to adequate height, three human lives could have been saved, Tripathy alleged while blaming the energy department for the electrocution death.
The petition sought the rehabilitation of the deceased PVTG Juang families, fair and impartial inquiry of the incident, stringent action against the department and adequate compensation to the next of kin of the deceased tribal women.
“Let a copy of the complaint be transmitted to the Principal Secretary, Department of Energy, Govt. of Odisha, through online mode, to ensure the needful action and submit an action taken report to the Commission within six weeks”, NHRC stated in the order.
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