NHRC notices to the Chairman, Railway Board, and the Director General of Police, Jharkhand over the reported deaths of 6 labourers due to electrocution while working on a rail power project in Dhanbad

New Delhi, 1st June, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that six contract labourers were electrocuted while installing a truss pole to support the overhead railway power line near Nichitpur railway crossing, on the Dhanbad-Gaya section in Dhanbad rail division, on 29th May, 2023. Reportedly, the contractor had not taken steps to get blocked the power supply before starting the work.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to the violation of human rights of the labourers. Apparently, the incident amounts to contributory negligence of the public servant who failed to supervise the work of the contractor effectively, and therefore, it is a matter of concern for the Commission.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chairman, Railway Board, and the Director General of Police, Jharkhand calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. It should also include the status of the FIR registered by the police, action taken against the remissness of the contractor and his supervisor as well as compensation if any, granted to the NoK of the deceased persons. The Commission would also like to know about the action against the delinquent officers for their supervisory lapse attributed to the tragic incident.

According to the media report, carried on 30th May, 2023, the poles were being installed by the contract labourers engaged by the Rail Vidyut Nigam Limited when one of the truss poles slipped from their hands and touched the live 25 KV overhead wire, and as a result, six workers who were holding the pole were charred to death.

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