Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed CESC Ltd and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to submit detailed reports on the series of electrocution deaths that followed heavy rains and waterlogging in the city on Tuesday.
The court asked the Sanjiv Goenka-owned private power distribution utility to explain its role and measures taken, while KMC was told to report on the steps adopted to keep the drainage and sewerage systems functional.
The directive came from a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Apurba Sinha Roy, which took suo motu cognisance of the tragedy.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation from the state to each bereaved family. She further pressed CESC to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh and to provide employment to one dependent of each victim.
Banerjee said: “Electricity is supplied by CESC, not us. It is their duty to ensure that people do not suffer because of this. They may do business here, but are they modernising their system? They should deploy people to the field and fix these issues.”
She added: “CESC has to take responsibility for these deaths. They are doing business here, but modernisation of facilities is being carried out in Rajasthan. Despite repeated reminders, they are not addressing it here. I am tired of telling them. Is it not the duty of CESC to be more mindful?”