TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024
Gregory E D'Souza Siolim
Now it's not surprising to see the registered contractors of the Electricity Dept whose workers use their innovative ideas (jugaad) to carry out their normal work when the safety equipment is bypassed, but the work must go on for the day (in Siolim). Otherwise, the poor migrant worker will not get his day's pay.
But the concerned contractor will claim his share of the contract's money, settle the concerned officials for a commission and if God help us that nothing unsafe may lead to any accidents. If the accident is serious in nature or leads to death, the investigating agency will turn the case upside down and the case will go for a toss due to poor investigation. While the family of the migrant will get peanuts as compensation.
Indians do not care for safety, that is the culture as we have seen in road safety, but we cannot give up on creating awareness. Maybe one life can be saved that is more important for us as NGOs in doing a bit for the society, while the concerned department officials and contractors get away with the huge paybacks as usual which is also a blessed and endorsed type of payment supported by the top govt officials. My appeal to the JERC committee that comes to discuss the hiking of the electricity bills please include safety as your agenda too. We cannot make poor contractual workers die by not giving them the safety equipment or endorsing the safety procedures. Be safe and keep others safe.
