Nongpoh, Jul 17: Days after three minors were electrocuted by a fallen power line at Umtangling in Ri-Bhoi, Umroi MLA Damanbait Lamare today visited the bereaved family to express his condolences.
Lamare also strongly criticised the alleged negligence of the Meghalaya Energy Corp Ltd (MeECL), stating that such a tragedy could have been avoided had timely action been taken.
After meeting the family, the MLA, accompanied by former MDC Rangkynsai Kharbuki, proceeded to the MeECL office at Umiam, where they held a meeting with senior officials to discuss the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three children.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon. Of the three victims, two were siblings aged 11 and 12. The trio accidentally came into contact with the electrified wire, which had snapped and fallen to the ground.
During today’s meeting, Lamare strongly reprimanded the MeECL officials for their alleged failure to act despite prior complaints from the village. He pointed out that the headman of Umtangling had reportedly informed the department about the dangerous condition of the electricity lines in the village, but no preventive measures were taken before the fatal incident occurred.
The MLA said that if the department had responded promptly to the complaint, the tragedy could have been prevented. He described the incident as a painful reminder of the consequences of administrative negligence and said no words could ease the grief of the parents and family members who lost their children at such a young age.
He further asserted that such incidents must never be allowed to happen again and urged MeECL officials not to wait until accidents claim lives before taking action.
Lamare also stressed that government officials must treat members of the public with respect whenever they approach government offices with grievances. He noted that complaints had also been raised regarding the alleged indifferent attitude of some officials towards people seeking assistance.
The MLA further urged MeECL to expedite the payment of compensation to the families of the three deceased children.
